Patient-facing AI tools have become commonplace for their promise to connect users to health information and, when appropriate, medical advice. But as the tools proliferate, questions remain about whether patients will abandon provider-led care for AI chatbots.
According to two new reports, one from eHealth and the other from EY, patients are indeed using the AI tools at their disposal. Although the data suggests the technology is filling in gaps in the nation's fractured healthcare system, there are still signs that patients would rather get advice from their doctors when possible.
According to the eHealth report, based on a survey of 1,000 adults, 49% of insured Americans have used AI chatbots to obtain medical advice, and 34% to better understand health insurance.
This might be an example of AI delivering on its promise to enhance the patient experience by expanding healthcare access . With numerous care access barriers, especially high healthcare costs that leave people with unmet medical needs, experts have said AI could provide some support.
But the eHealth report exposes another risk: AI could be filling in those gaps too much, as people turn to the technology without ever touching base with a doctor.
Is AI replacing doctor's office visits?
According to the report, about two-thirds of folks using AI have acted on the medical advice they received without confirming or following up with a doctor. Another 82% of respondents said they trust the advice AI provides, while 29% said they "completely trust" it.
The EY report adds to that, showing that 31% of patients are turning to AI and 41% to online search engines when they cannot access healthcare.
At the same time, large swaths of people are missing key primary and preventive care services -- even those that are covered by insurance. For example, 56% have skipped their annual wellness check at least once in the last five years. Another 44% skipped a preventive screening.
Leveraging AI to augment patient interactions
Patient-facing AI chatbots are not intended to replace provider-led care, as most are supposed to issue disclosures around medical advice. Some tools include language encouraging users to visit a provider when they present more serious symptoms, and some even allow people to book that care on the spot.
Rather, these early signs of unchecked reliance on AI could be a symptom of the larger healthcare system failing patients. A complex web of logistical barriers, plus the rising cost of healthcare, is leaving many to forego healthcare access in favor of the more convenient chatbots designed primarily to enhance the existing healthcare paradigm.
However, according to the EY report, the notion of AI replacing medical care is not a foregone conclusion. There are still signs that patients are mostly interested in their healthcare provider leading their care -- when they can access their provider.
For example, AI has actually helped direct many patients toward healthcare professionals, not away from them. Around half (56%) of survey respondents said they've requested or would consider requesting a medical service based on information they got from AI.
The EY report also indicates that trust in AI remains an issue, a departure from the eHealth report's findings.
Consumers still prioritize information from professionals, with the EY report showing that 89% of consumers said their doctors are reliable compared to 68% who said the same of AI tools. Another 61% said search engines are reliable.
Indeed, just under half (49%) said they were comfortable with AI being a part of a treatment decision. Instead, they'd prefer to see the technology deployed for more agentic functions, like appointment scheduling, with 65% saying as much.
But as noted above, in order for AI to support, not replace, healthcare interactions, patients need to be able to access medical care. That will require overall system changes that help patients overcome both the logistical and financial barriers that keep them out of the doctor's office in the first place.
Sara Heath is an executive editor at Xtelligent Healthcare Media, where she covers patient engagement, healthcare policy and health IT.
