100 family doctors in Tuscany join national AI healthcare trial

Around 100 family doctors in Tuscany have joined a national pilot programme testing the use of artificial intelligence in primary healthcare. The initiative is aimed at supporting general practitioners in their daily clinical work, particularly in basic diagnostic assessment and the management of chronic conditions.

Participation is voluntary and is expected to expand to about 200 doctors in the region. At national level, the trial is promoted by Agenas and is funded through Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR).

How the AI tool will support doctors

The doctors involved will use MIA – Medicina Intelligenza Artificiale, an AI platform designed specifically for primary care. The system is intended to assist general practitioners during the initial diagnostic framework, suggest possible areas for further investigation and help organise relevant clinical information for periodic patient reviews.

The platform is also expected to support doctors in preventive care and health promotion activities, particularly in the follow-up of patients with long-term conditions.

Regional health officials stress that the tool does not replace medical decision-making. Responsibility for diagnosis and treatment remains entirely with the doctor, with AI used only as a support instrument.

Training, testing and daily practice

The trial will start in January 2026 and will last 12 months. Doctors will test the platform in real clinical settings and provide feedback to improve its functionality. Participants are distributed across all three local health authorities in Tuscany and will receive specific training as part of the programme.

At national level, about 1,500 primary care doctors are expected to take part in the experimentation phase.

Data protection and safeguards

MIA is currently the only AI system for healthcare in Italy to have received approval from the national data protection authority. It does not use generic language models or external commercial platforms.

According to project guidelines, the system does not process or store patients’ personal data. It is based on a dedicated national engine using validated medical content and is supervised by a scientific committee.

The aim, according to health authorities, is to test whether carefully regulated AI tools can reduce administrative and cognitive workload for family doctors, while preserving the central role of the doctor–patient relationship in primary care.

(Cover image generated using artificial intelligence)

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