Presentation (CTI)

OBJECTIVES: As healthcare systems increasingly rely on digital health technologies to improve access and value, understanding the specific application of artificial intelligence (AI) is crucial. This study aims to characterize the primary AI usage scenarios among Chinese physicians in 2025, specifically evaluating the shift toward AI-driven patient management and real-world data (RWD) utilization in daily practice.
METHODS: This cross-sectional analysis utilized data from the 2025 longitudinal Digital Life Physician (DLP) survey. The study population included 4,246 physicians across China who reported active usage of AI tools. Respondents prioritized their top two usage domains from four primary categories: Patient Management, RWD, Research, and Medical Imaging. Detailed functional usage within each specific domain was captured and analyzed descriptively to determine adoption patterns and workflow integration depths.
RESULTS: Among AI-using physicians, Patient Management (53%) and RWD utilization (49%) emerged as the dominant scenarios, surpassing Research (47%) and Medical Imaging (44%). Within the Patient Management cohort (n=2,236), usage prioritized longitudinal care efficiency, led by chronic disease management guidance (44%) and automated follow-up plan generation (42%). In the RWD domain (n=2,072), over half (51%) of physicians leveraged AI for clinical treatment plan optimization, while 37% utilized it for drug safety monitoring. Research applications were primarily driven by literature screening (49%), yet 30% of users employed AI for complex clinical trial design. In imaging, AI served largely as an assistant for diagnostic report generation (45%) and lesion detection (38%).
CONCLUSIONS: Chinese physicians are actively transitioning AI from theoretical research to practical application in clinical workflows and evidence generation. The high prioritization of RWD applications—specifically for treatment optimization—indicates that AI is becoming a critical tool for bridging the gap between clinical evidence and point-of-care decision-making. This trend suggests a rapidly maturing digital health ecosystem in China focused on efficiency and outcomes.