Spanish CIS poll finds public trusts nurses and doctors over AI in healthcare

A recent barometer from Spain’s Centre for Sociological Research (CIS) shows that Spaniards have strong confidence in health professionals but are skeptical of artificial intelligence in medical settings. Nurses received the highest trust rating at 8.16 out of 10, followed by doctors at 7.98. Patients also gave positive scores to communication (7.66) and knowledge of their medical history (7.42), while evaluating doctors’ time spent at 7.32.

When asked about AI applications, respondents gave low approval ratings. Speaking with an AI virtual assistant during a consultation scored 3.28, having a virtual assistant monitor disease progression scored 3.49, and undergoing robotic surgery scored 4.26. The only AI function that generated relatively less discomfort was using AI to interpret radiographs, which received a 4.45 rating. Overall, the survey indicates that the human factor remains essential in Spain’s public health system, and acceptance of AI tools is still limited.

The CIS also reported high satisfaction with public hospital services, with 88.3% rating hospitalisation positively and an overall system satisfaction score of 6.16 out of 10.