2021 Canadian Digital Health Survey - Innovative Technologies
The 2021 Canadian Digital Health Survey highlights public perception of innovative technologies in health care, focusing on artificial intelligence (AI) and the use of personal health information (PHI) for AI research. Only 8% of respondents reported being very knowledgeable about AI, while 42% were moderately knowledgeable. Despite limited understanding, 60% of Canadians expressed comfort with AI in health care settings. When informed consent is provided, 69% are comfortable with the use of PHI for AI research; this drops to 48% when consent is not provided but data is deidentified. Top concerns include loss of human interaction (28%), privacy breaches (23%), and liability issues (11%). Canadians are most comfortable with AI used for tracking epidemics (79.3%) and optimizing workflow (75.9%). In terms of public investment, outcomes considered most important include ensuring health care providers develop innovation plans (87.5%) and that Canada remains competitive globally (84.9%). These insights reflect both optimism and caution regarding the integration of AI into the health care system.