News: U.S. adults turn to providers more than AI chatbots despite usage growth

While AI chatbots have become an increasing source of health information, 85% of adults in the United States still get information from providers “at least sometimes,” a new survey by the Pew Research Center found.

Healthcare providers received the highest ratings for the quality of the information provided, with 55% of respondents saying information is easy to understand, 52% saying it is personalized, and 49% saying it is convenient to obtain.

Researchers surveyed 5,111 U.S. adults from October 20 to October 26 for the report. Aside from healthcare providers, there were six other main sources of health information:

• People with similar health issues: 66%
• Major health information websites: 60%
• News organizations: 46%
• Government health agencies: 45%
• Social media: 36%
• AI chatbots: 22%

Almost three-quarters (73%) of the respondents reported using three or more of the specified sources. Factors such as insurance coverage, education, and age influence the sources patients seek and how accurate they are viewed, researchers note. About two-thirds (65%) of those who get health information from providers say the information is extremely or very accurate.

Social media, conversely, was viewed as the least reliable source of information, with only 7% of respondents viewing it as “extremely/very” accurate. The study found “a lot of overlap” between respondents seeking health information from social media and through AI chatbots—15% reported using both. The convenience of obtaining information from these sources is ranked very high, with 40% reporting that using social media is “extremely/very” convenient for getting information and 48% reporting the same about AI chatbots.

The survey found mixed experiences of respondents when judging the accuracy of health information, regardless of the source. Half of the respondents said it is at least somewhat difficult to determine the accuracy, and 76% said they see conflicting information at least sometimes while 54% have difficulty knowing which to trust.

Editor’s note: To read the full survey report, click here. To read additional coverage from Fierce Healthcare, click here.