One in Three Allied Health Practitioners Surveyed Say Clients Have Challenged Their Advice Using AI
Zanda survey of 682 practitioners finds 70% have encountered clients referencing AI-generated health information during consultations.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA, UNITED STATES — Sep 13, 2026 — New research from Zanda has found that 70% of allied health practitioners surveyed have had clients reference AI-generated health information during consultations in the past 12 months, while more than a third have had clients challenge their clinical judgment based on information provided by an AI tool.
The findings come from The State of AI Adoption in Allied Health in 2026, based on responses collected between March and May 2026 from 682 allied health practitioners in Zanda’s practitioner user base across Australia, the UK, the US, New Zealand, Canada, Ireland, South Africa and other markets.
Respondents described both benefits and challenges: some clients arrived better prepared, with clearer questions, while others used AI-generated information to question clinical advice.
“An AI answer is becoming part of the conversation between clients and practitioners. It can help someone put their concerns into words, but it can also create expectations that need careful discussion,” said Damien Adler, psychologist and co-founder of Zanda. “Practitioners need to understand what clients have been told, help them assess it, and keep that conversation open.”
The report shows AI is entering allied health from two directions at once. Clients are consulting AI before appointments, while practitioners are turning to it to manage a growing documentation burden.
Nearly one in five practitioners spend nine or more hours each week on clinical documentation, and 47% say documentation requirements have increased over the past three years.
More than 60% of practitioners surveyed are already using AI in some form. Among AI users, 76% use it for clinical note drafting and 72% for letters and reports.
The research also found that the frequency of use is associated with reported results. 71% of daily AI users reported reducing their documentation time by at least 26%, compared with 23% of occasional users.
Despite that, practitioners remain much more confident in AI as an efficiency tool than as part of clinical care. 61% believe AI improves efficiency, while only 34% believe it improves patient outcomes.
That gap reflects a broader tension running through the report: practitioners are comfortable using AI to support administrative work, but remain cautious about how far it should extend into the clinical relationship.
“AI is already part of healthcare whether every practitioner chooses to use it or not,” Adler said. “Clients are using it. Practitioners are using it. The focus now needs to be on making sure it supports care responsibly and gives practitioners more time for the work that matters most.”
The report also highlights emerging concerns around privacy, informed consent, clinical judgment and whether AI-generated documentation can fully capture the reasoning behind a practitioner’s decisions.
The State of AI Adoption in Allied Health in 2026 explores AI adoption, documentation burden, practitioner attitudes, productivity outcomes and the growing influence of consumer AI use on clinical consultations.
Zanda is practice management software built for allied health professionals and is used by more than 40,000 users across 23 countries.
To download the full report, visit The State of AI Adoption in Allied Health
For media inquiries, interviews with Damien Adler, or introductions to practitioners who participated in the research, contact Jessica Gibson.
Media Contacts:
Jessica Gibson
Chief Buzz Officer
Zanda
[email protected]
About Zanda
Zanda is a complete practice management system for health practices founded by brothers Damien and Paul Adler. Zanda is consistently ranked globally among the top medical practice management systems on G2.com. The company has operations in the US, UK, and Australia, and is deployed by over 40K users in over 23 countries, ranging from sole practitioners to large, multi-location clinics. Zanda is committed to its mission to make health practice management easy and enjoyable.
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