Trust in the Age of AI: Healthcare Technology Will Always Need a Human Touch 

I recently met with the leadership team of a tech-enabled healthcare company, and one of them made a comment that stuck with me. “Besides our families and homes,” he said, “two of the things we value the most are our money, and our health.” Gesturing at his mobile phone, he added, “When it comes to our money, we put an amazing amount of trust in technology. We pay bills, move cash between accounts, make online purchases, and send digital payments without a second thought. And yet, when it comes to our health…”  

We went on to discuss the incredible fragility of trust when it comes to healthcare diagnosis and treatment — and the challenges in crafting the communications necessary to build this trust. We have access to more powerful health-tech tools and groundbreaking medicines than ever before. And yet, without secure data, collaborative communication, and (ultimately) solid trust, even the most cutting-edge innovations won’t get us very far. 

The stakes are high. A variety of studies have shown that patients are deeply concerned about the privacy of their healthcare information, and the ways in which it will be used. Misused or compromised data steadily erodes patient confidence. The presence of hidden biases in algorithms, fueled in part by a lack of diversity in data used in training AI systems, creates worrying health disparities. Frustrating processes and inconsistent delivery of information leave patients feeling like subjects in an experiment, not partners in their own health. 

The information quagmire created by the confluence of social media, politics, and our own biases certainly doesn’t help. We all remember the clash of expert opinions during the COVID-19 pandemic; the inconsistent and ever-changing political guidance; the endless controversy around masking and vaccines. We all remember the rising number of hospitalizations and deaths, some of them preventable. Those of us in the PR and communications field worked overtime during the peak of the pandemic, toiling to help our clients and employers cut through the endless clutter and get their message heard.

But within this ongoing crisis lies clear opportunities. Healthcare technology, when designed with ethics and empathy in mind and complemented by strategic communications, can amplify trust rather than erode it. The list of best practices could fill a book, but a few come to mind: 

Demystify the Data: The days of mysterious black-box algorithms are behind us. Patients deserve to understand what data is recorded and how it is used, from diagnosis to treatment recommendations. Explainable AI, visualized data flows, and intuitive dashboards can give patients a window into the decision-making process, fostering a sense of control and empowerment. In fact, when patients have more visibility into their healthcare data and its use, they can help ensure its accuracy — which improves healthcare outcomes.  

Prevent Breaches — and Respond Quickly: Data breaches are not merely statistics and news headlines; they are personal violations. Robust data encryption, ironclad security protocols, and frequent vulnerability assessments are essential first steps. Human oversight, proactive communication in the event of a breach, and clear, accessible avenues for reporting concerns are also vital. And if a breach does occur, respond at once; failure to identify, contain, and communicate about breaches quickly is worryingly common and leaves people vulnerable. 

Obtain Consent, Fairly: Whether it’s healthcare data or any confidential information, privacy is not a privilege; it’s a right. Informed consent for data collection and use should not be buried within dense volumes of fine print. Clear language, opt-in and opt-out mechanisms, and multi-layered control over how data is shared all work together to empower patients and remind them that their information is not a commodity to be sold and traded. 

Put People First: AI and health-tech platforms have extraordinary life-saving potential. Eagle-eyed computer programs can spot cancers that human doctors might miss; AI-powered tools can help minimize medication dosage errors and even assist in delicate surgeries. But machines lack not only empathy, compassion, and creativity, but also the ability to think and reason as humans do. Designing tools that complement but never seek to supplant healthcare professionals helps ensure that the human touch remains at the forefront. 

Technology will evolve and new tools will come and go, but I believe that people will forever be at the heart of healthcare. And the lifeline between the healthcare provider and the patient is trust. By prioritizing transparency, security, empowerment, and ethical consent, health-tech developers and data stewards can be the bridge — and not the barrier — to an ethics-driven, patient-centered future. And healthcare communicators, meanwhile, will have a powerful story to tell. 

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