Aide Health Report Finds Patients More Honest with AI Than Doctors

A new white paper from UK digital health company Aide Health found that patients are more likely to share sensitive health information with AI systems than with clinicians. The report, “Building Patient Trust in AI,” analyzed data from Aide Health’s NHS programs and peer-reviewed studies, revealing that 26% of asthma patients admitted to not taking their medication as prescribed—higher than rates typically reported in face-to-face visits.

The report shows mixed public attitudes toward healthcare AI: while 48% of people are comfortable with AI identifying health risks through wearables, only 35% believe it improves care quality. Trust levels also vary across communities, reflecting wider health inequalities.

“Healthcare AI sits at the crossroads of trust and empathy,” said Ian Wharton, Founder and CEO of Aide Health. “People trust technology to listen without judgment, but they still want to feel understood. Our research shows we can design systems that do both.”

Aide Health introduced a design principle called adaptive neutrality, guiding when AI should remain neutral versus when it should express empathy. Patients tend to prefer AI for medication tracking or lifestyle monitoring, while human empathy remains key for diagnosis and treatment.

Despite AI’s projected $148.4 billion market by 2029, 60% of patients remain uneasy about its role in care. To address this, Aide Health unveiled Mirror, an AI-powered app that listens during consultations and produces plain-language summaries to help patients retain information—addressing research showing that 80% of medical advice is quickly forgotten.

Aide Health’s conversational AI continues to help patients follow treatment plans, track progress, and strengthen health literacy while giving clinicians real-time insights into patient data.

Click here to read the original news story.