Survey results show how veterinary professionals use AI Tools

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A survey conducted by Digitail, an all-in-one practice management software for hospitals, recently published AI in Veterinary Medicine: The New Paradigm Shift in collaboration with the American Animal Health Association (AAHA). The survey collected the perspective from 3,968 professionals to explore the current awareness, concerns, expectations, perception, and utilization with the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) within veterinary medicine.

"The survey findings revealed an interesting trend – increased usage correlates with a growing recognition of AI's advantages. Notably, the overwhelming majority of those veterinary professionals who have tapped into AI, are using these tools in their veterinary setting daily or weekly," said Sebastian Gabor, CEO at Digitail, in an organizational release.¹

According to the organizational releasee, 39.2% of respondents reported they use AI tools or software in their veterinary setting, 65.8% tried AI tools for professional tasks weekly or daily. The study also found a direct correlation between using AI tools and the level of enthusiasm for this technology.¹

When it came to when teams are using AI, the typical applications were imaging and radiology, administrative tasks, and voice-to-text transcription. The most common benefit of AI integration in veterinary medicine was an improvement in productivity and time saving, reducing workloads for administrative staff, and increasing efficiency when it comes to diagnosing and treating patients.

The survey also investigated concerns with AI in veterinary medicine, citing the most prevalent concern (70.3% of respondents) was whether the AI systems were accurate and reliable. Data security and privacy was another concern with 53.9% of respondents indicating this answer.¹ With the pros and cons of AI listed in the study, almost 40% of veterinary professionals are interested in using AI tools at their practice and 15.5% expressed a clear resistance to use AI. The survey also found fear of job displacement, lack of training and knowledge, implementation, and regulatory or legal issues are among the issues veterinary teams currently have with AI.²

While it is premature to state that AI is ready for universal implementation in veterinary medicine, it's evident that it currently serves as a viable tool with specific applications. Insights from the survey respondents, along with the feedback from Digitail's clients using Tails AI, have already allowed us to identify specific areas where this technology demonstrates reliability and positive impact for both staff and pet parents," concluded Gabor.

Reference

1. 39.2% of Veterinary Professionals Use AI Tools in Their Practice - Digitail and AAHA Survey. News release. February 15, 2024. Accessed February 15, 2024. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/39-2-of-veterinary-professionals-use-ai-tools-in-their-practice--digitail-and-aaha-survey-302062525.html
2. Danylenko G. AI in Veterinary Medicine: The next paradigm shift. Accessed February 15, 2024. https://digitail.com/blog/artificial-intelligence-in-veterinary-medicine-the-next-paradigm-shift/