Can machines make us more human? The paradox of AI in healthcare, guest blog by Bev Dumbleton, chief patient experience officer at Simple Online Healthcare

It’s no secret that 2025 has been the year of AI, and healthcare is no exception. Across the world, artificial intelligence is transforming everything from diagnostics to patient support. More than half of healthcare organisations now use AI to streamline workflows and reduce administrative load.

Used well, AI can free up healthcare professionals to focus on what matters most – patients. That principle underpins our own approach at Simple Online Healthcare: removing task-based processes that don’t require a human touch, and replacing them with automation that does the job faster.

But with transformation comes responsibility. Trust is fragile, and the public is right to expect reassurance around safety, data, and accountability, especially when it comes to their health. A recent Royal College of Radiologists survey found that more than half of the British public weren’t aware AI is already being used in healthcare. Only 40% felt comfortable with it in principle, though that figure jumped to over 70% among people familiar with AI.  Awareness and familiarity, therefore, drive confidence.

As we expand internationally, we’re mindful AI conversations happen globally. The European Union, for example, acknowledges that many challenges remain – from data and regulatory hurdles to cultural and ethical concerns. Regulation is absolutely essential in healthcare but it must go hand in hand with innovation if we are to meet growing patient needs globally. It’s a complex landscape, and one we take seriously.

At Simple Online Healthcare, we deploy AI with care and intention. Our digital agent, Erica, answers patient calls and already resolves around half of all queries. Crucially, if a patient wants to speak to a human, they can, the option is built into every interaction. Our AI agent will offer a response and if a patient advises that this has not fully answered their question, Erica asks if they wish to be transferred to our patient care team.

Erica has only been up-and-running since April – she is constantly evolving and we utilise patient feedback to evolve how she responds. We continually review Erica's transcripts and calls, ensuring that we are optimising her approach and pivoting where we feel she can better respond and assist our patients – and hand over to our care team whenever empathy, reassurance or medical insight are needed.

To use real case examples, if a patient wants order status updates, that’s a task-based process and you don’t always need to speak to a human – AI and automation can handle these types of query seamlessly, using an API plugged into our back office systems. However, when a patient wants to know about the side effects of a certain medication, then it’s imperative that we are there for them on a human level. 

AI does what it’s best at and our people do what only people can do. Ultimately, patients still want to talk to people. AI helps make that possible by giving our teams more time for meaningful conversations – the ones that build trust, understanding, and better patient outcomes. Every innovation we introduce is driven by a single goal: to deliver the very best in patient-centred care.