There’s no denying that artificial intelligence (AI) has become a part of modern culture. From asking ChatGPT a health question to using voice assistants like Alexa or Siri, AI plays a major role in how we function.
The recent conversation about AI has focused on its potential downsides, especially concerns about job loss and overreliance on technology.
But as healthcare continues to evolve, some physicians are beginning to use AI in ways that may actually improve care. In particular, these tools could reshape the patient-provider relationship over time.
For many patients, the most frustrating part of a doctor’s visit isn’t always the diagnosis — it’s the experience: the rushed appointments, the doctor typing more than they’re talking, the subtle sense that your concerns aren’t being heard, but instead filtered through a screen. These are common experiences for many people. And for Black Americans, repeated moments like these can contribute to a deeper sense of mistrust in the healthcare system.
Now, as AI becomes more prevalent, a quieter shift is happening inside exam rooms. Physicians are using AI tools — particularly those that reduce documentation to create more space for meaningful patient interaction. The question is whether this technology is simply changing workflows or actually helping doctors reconnect with their patients. Experts like Keven Stonewall, MD, and Patsy M. McNeil, MD, MBA, FACEP, are beginning to see that impact firsthand.
With the shift in modern healthcare, physicians are seeing clear benefits, particularly in time, attention, and clinical support. According to Dr. McNeil, Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Adventist Health, these tools are helping shift the focus back to the patient. “Listening is fundamentally a personal aptitude — part of the art of medicine and a clinician’s dedication to the patient — rather than something dependent on tools,” she explains.
Dr. McNeil also explained, “AI helps by reducing the physician’s need to focus on a screen, allowing more direct engagement with the patient. In that sense, it enhances listening. By improving efficiency, AI is also creating more time for meaningful face-to-face interaction, patient questions, and relationship-building — elements that are essential to high-quality care.”
When physicians are less overwhelmed, they’re more present and engaged — something that directly impacts the patient experience.
Dr. McNeil echoes this, noting that “a less burned-out physician is a better, safer, and less risk-prone physician, and that directly benefits the patient.”
Beyond communication, these tools are also being explored for their potential to support earlier detection of certain conditions and more personalized treatment planning. By quickly analyzing large amounts of data, these tools can help physicians identify patterns that may not be immediately obvious, potentially leading to a faster diagnosis and more tailored care.
While AI cannot replace clinical judgment, it is becoming an additional layer of support in how care is delivered.
Healthcare professionals are seeing the broader impact of AI; physicians using these tools daily are noticing the shift in more immediate human ways. For Dr. Stonewall, a physician and TEDx speaker, one of the biggest changes comes down to attention. “Documentation is an additional layer of mental load on top of an already cognitively demanding encounter,” he explained. “You’re practicing medicine and charting simultaneously — and that weight is real.”
To reduce that burden, Dr. Stonewall uses ambient documentation tools that run passively during patient visits. Instead of typing throughout the appointment, he can fully face the patient and focus on the conversation.
“What that practically means in the room is that the keyboard disappears,” he explained. “And when the keyboard disappears, the whole dynamic shifts.” That shift, he notes, goes beyond convenience — it directly impacts how patients show up.
“Patients feel heard because the physician is facing them, not a computer screen. And when patients feel heard, they go deeper,” Dr. Stonewall said. Even small changes, such as increased eye contact or allowing more space for a patient to speak, can influence what a patient is willing to share, ultimately affecting clinical outcomes.
“Before any ambient tool is active, the patient needs to know,” Dr. Stonewall said, emphasizing the importance of transparency. Without that level of clear communication, the technology can feel intrusive — undermining the trust it’s meant to support. He adds that transparency determines whether the tool fades into the background or becomes a distraction.
Ultimately, the tool itself isn’t what defines the interaction; the physician does. “I think the efficiency case is clear,” Dr. Stonewall added. “The listening case depends on whether physicians use that time intentionally.” Because at the end of the day, patients don’t remember how quickly a visit went — they remember how it felt. They remember whether they felt seen.
For the Black community, conversations around healthcare are often shaped by a long history of medical mistrust, bias, and unequal treatment. Experiences of not being heard or taken seriously have contributed to disparities in care and outcomes.
As AI becomes more integrated into healthcare, there is potential for meaningful improvement, but also important concerns. Technology alone cannot solve system issues, and without intentionality, AI risks reinforcing the very biases it aims to address.
When used thoughtfully, AI can help create more space for doctors to listen, engage, and connect more fully with their patients. And for many Black patients, the hope is not just more advanced technology, but instead better care. And if AI can do that, this may be one step forward to that goal.
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