The report

Innovation in healthcare: two in three Italians are concerned about inequality, and half are sceptical about AI

For more than 8 out of 10 Italians, innovation has made treatment more effective, but almost half are against the use of artificial intelligence in clinical decision-making

by Health Editorial Team

6 October 2026

Aggiungi Il Sole 24 Ore
ai preferiti su Google

4' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

4' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Two out of three Italians (65.2 per cent) believe it is likely or ‘quite likely’ that innovation in healthcare will widen the gap in access to treatment, and 63.2 per cent fear it will make the relationship with doctors and nurses more impersonal. This is not a lack of trust in progress: more than 8 in 10 recognise that innovation has made treatments more effective and diagnoses earlier. However, 38.4 per cent believe it has done little or nothing to help them receive treatment when needed – more than double the proportion who hold this view regarding the effectiveness of treatment (16.6 per cent).

These are some of the key findings of the Mesit Foundation’s ‘Innovation Starting-point’ report, presented in Rome at the Health Innovation Show 2026, now in its fourth edition, organised by the Foundation itself (Social Medicine and Technological Innovation), in collaboration with Altems (Catholic University of the Sacred Heart), CEIS-EEHTA (University of Rome Tor Vergata) and the Interdepartmental Research Centre “Innovation & Health” (Roma Tre University).

The results

The survey, carried out in collaboration with partner universities on a sample of 1,411 adults resident in Italia (weighted data), adopts the citizens’ perspective for the first time: innovation as a social phenomenon, which promotes health only if people are able to understand it, trust it and access it.

First and foremost is the fear of inequality: 65.2 per cent believe it is at least fairly likely that innovation will widen the gap in access to healthcare, 63.2 per cent believe it will make the relationship with healthcare staff more impersonal, and 55.4 per cent believe it will create new barriers to access. At the same time, 55.5 per cent believe it could improve the quality of care significantly or very significantly.

Furthermore, 83.4 per cent believe that innovation has at least to some extent improved the effectiveness of treatment, and 82.9 per cent believe it has improved the early diagnosis of diseases. When it comes to access, however, 38.4 per cent think it has contributed little or not at all: this is the least favourable assessment in the entire survey. The survey reveals greater trust in healthcare professionals than in the system itself. On a scale of 0 to 10, scientists and researchers score 7.25, doctors 7.01, and nurses and healthcare professionals 6.91. These are followed by public hospitals (6.48), private facilities (6.27) and the National Health Service as a whole (6.07).

In the ‘oncology’ section, there is recognised progress but little-known innovations. Cancer is the area where progress is most widely perceived (47.8 per cent), followed by cardiovascular diseases (35.4 per cent) and vaccines (30.8 per cent). 85.3 per cent view the contribution of innovation to cancer diagnosis positively. Yet 39.1 per cent have never heard of artificial intelligence in oncology, and only 37.5 per cent say they have at least a basic understanding of precision medicine.

Telemedicine promoted

79.2 per cent of the sample would accept devices for remotely monitoring health parameters, 76.5 per cent would accept tools for remotely following a course of treatment, and 67.1 per cent would accept telemedicine. However, 48.6 per cent are unwilling or only slightly willing to accept AI to support diagnosis, and 48.4 per cent are unwilling or only slightly willing to accept it in choosing a treatment; the highest levels of willingness stand at 18.5 per cent and 17.7 per cent respectively.

A social gradient

Perceptions of the benefits vary according to age, education and economic status. The ‘high’ profile drops from 63.1 per cent amongst 18–34-year-olds to 50.5 per cent amongst the over-65s, and rises from 49.1 per cent amongst those with a low level of education to 59.4 per cent amongst graduates. Economic pressure is the main factor: the ‘high’ profile applies to 60.4 per cent of those who find it easy to meet their expenses, compared with 51.0 per cent of those who struggle to make ends meet. Geographically, in the South and on the Islands, only 31.9 per cent express low levels of concern about the effects of innovation, compared with 45.1 per cent in the Centre.

The 5 guiding principles

The report highlights five recommendations for health policy: bringing innovation to the area of access; building trust by extending it to the National Health Service; introducing AI whilst keeping the doctor at the centre; bridging the knowledge gap in oncology; and preventing new inequalities. ‘Citizens,’ explains Marco Trabucco Aurilio, President of the Mesit Foundation, ‘are sending us a very clear message: innovation works, but it does not yet reach everyone in the same way. More than eight out of ten Italians recognise that it has made treatment more effective, but only one in four sees it as a means of accessing treatment when they need it. It is in this area that the credibility of change is at stake. The publication of the new Essential Levels of Care (LEA) makes this issue even more pressing. ‘Our report,’ he continues, ‘shows that older people, those with lower levels of education, families in financial difficulty and citizens in the South of Italy benefit less from the opportunities offered by innovation: policies must reach them first and foremost. The message is equally clear when it comes to artificial intelligence. Italians trust doctors and researchers, not algorithms left to their own devices: AI must be introduced with the doctor at the centre, with transparency and clear rules on the use of data. Innovating today also means preventing new inequalities.’

Brand connect

I prossimi eventi

Tutti gli eventi

Notizie e approfondimenti sugli avvenimenti politici, economici e finanziari.