Healthcare organizations adopting agentic AI faster than governance frameworks, survey finds

A survey released on September 17, 2026, by digital identity security firm Imprivata reveals that healthcare organizations are rapidly adopting agentic AI, even as governance frameworks lag. While over 85% of AI strategy leaders express confidence in their control over autonomous agents, 72% admit that AI tools are deployed without IT approval. Experts and organizations like ECRI warn of patient safety risks, such as incorrect medical records or altered dosages, if autonomous errors propagate at machine speed.

Agentic AI adoption rates

• ▪A survey conducted by Vanson Bourne on behalf of Imprivata found that more than 25% of healthcare leaders have already implemented agentic AI at their organizations.
• ▪The Vanson Bourne survey found that the vast majority of healthcare leaders expect agentic AI to have a transformative impact on clinical and operational workflows.
• ▪The Vanson Bourne survey found that 44% of healthcare leaders are piloting or conducting proof-of-concept projects for agentic AI, and 21% plan to implement it within the next year.

Shadow AI deployment patterns

• ▪The Imprivata survey found that 72% of healthcare respondents admit AI tools are deployed without IT approval at least occasionally within their organizations.
• ▪The Wolters Kluwer survey found that nearly 20% of medical workers and administrators reported using an unsanctioned AI tool themselves.
• ▪A survey by Wolters Kluwer found that 40% of medical workers and administrators were aware of colleagues using unauthorized AI tools.

Governance framework gaps

• ▪The Imprivata survey showed that more than 85% of healthcare leaders responsible for AI strategy are confident they have visibility into AI agent activity and can fully control autonomous actions.
• ▪The Imprivata survey revealed that healthcare organizations take fragmented approaches to managing AI agents, with management split between IT departments, security teams, or ad hoc deployments.
• ▪A survey released by digital identity security firm Imprivata on September 17, 2026, found that healthcare organizations are rapidly adopting agentic AI, but governance frameworks are not keeping pace.

Patient safety concerns

• ▪Dr. Sean Kelly of Imprivata stated that an autonomous AI agent with excessive permissions could access sensitive patient information, enter incorrect medical record data, or alter medication dosages.
• ▪The nonprofit healthcare safety organization ECRI named insufficient governance of AI in healthcare as one of its top 10 patient safety concerns in 2025.
• ▪Dr. Sean Kelly of Imprivata warned that because AI agents operate autonomously at machine speed, a single error could propagate before being recognized, directly impacting care delivery.

Security risk management

• ▪The Imprivata survey found that more than half of healthcare leaders ranked security among their top concerns when adopting agentic AI.
• ▪Security experts state that agentic AI presents security risks because agents can act autonomously, traverse different information systems, and execute actions on behalf of users.

Industry oversight guidance

• ▪Dr. Sean Kelly of Imprivata recommended that AI agents have clearly defined identities, permissions, and boundaries, with human review for higher-risk activities and audit trails.
• ▪The Coalition for Health AI, a network of healthcare systems and industry groups, issued AI governance playbooks in 2025 to help health systems responsibly roll out AI tools.

Debatable claims

• ▪Human review should be mandatory for all clinical decisions made by agentic AI
• ▪Healthcare organizations should strictly block unauthorized employee use of AI tools
• ▪Healthcare organizations should pause agentic AI deployment until governance frameworks are established