Are patients hitting a health information overload? Perhaps, according to new data from the Pew Research Center, which finds that half of patients find it at least somewhat difficult to determine the accuracy of the health information available at their fingertips.
The survey, based on responses from more than 5,000 U.S. adults, also found that 54% think it's at least somewhat difficult to parse fact from fiction when presented with conflicting health guidance.
These findings come as the healthcare industry contends with a new source of patient education: AI chatbots such as ChatGPT, Gemini or Claude.
Of note, many in the industry laud these tools, saying they can promote patient engagement and healthcare access where the traditional medical system has failed. However, experts have also cautioned about AI's limitations, particularly regarding patient safety and access to credible, clinician-backed information.
According to the survey, those chatbots aren't gaining widespread use, at least not yet. Only about a fifth (22%) of respondents said they use AI chatbots to access health information. Instead, most (85%) said they still rely on their healthcare providers to learn about their health. These findings reflect those of similar surveys.
The problem at hand isn't overreliance on AI, the survey indicated. Rather, it could be an information overload that's making it hard for patients to know what's credible and what isn't.
Health information has a credibility problem
Patients have numerous options for learning about their health. Most get health information from their doctors, but they can also look at the following sources:
- People who have similar health issues as you (66% at least sometimes).
- Major health information websites, such as WebMD or Mayo Clinic (60% at least sometimes).
- News organizations and journalists (46% at least sometimes).
- Government health agencies (45% at least sometimes).
- Social media (35% at least sometimes).
- AI Chatbots (22% at least sometimes).
However, patients don't always trust the information they access. While nearly all patients (96%) trust their doctors for health information, they question other sources.
Notably, 19% don't think the information from government agencies is accurate, while 47% feel the same about information found on social media and 23% for AI chatbots.
What's more, patients have trouble judging the accuracy of health information, indicating patient health literacy and media literacy problems.
Overall, 50% of respondents said it's at least somewhat difficult to judge the accuracy of health information, with 12% saying it's extremely difficult. This was more common among younger patients, those with lower educational attainment and those with lower incomes.
The survey didn't dig into what, specifically, makes it hard for patients to judge the accuracy of health information. However, low patient health literacy, plus the growing list of medical resources, could be obscuring health messaging.
Mixed messaging hampers health literacy
The survey indicated another issue with healthcare's media landscape -- there's rampant mixed messaging.
Overall, 56% of Americans said they've seen or heard health information that seems to conflict with other health information they've gotten. Of those, 27% said it happens often or extremely often.
When this happens, patients struggle to parse fact from fiction, with 15% saying it's extremely hard to judge which conflicting message is the accurate one. Another 39% said it's somewhat difficult.
This problem can compound, the survey added. Those who see conflicting healthcare messages often or extremely often are more likely than their peers to say it's hard to know which information to trust.
Tailoring messaging for trust
As healthcare professionals grapple with a changing health information landscape, it will be important to understand what helps build patient trust.
Notably, patients want their health information to come from someone with medical training and for those individuals to be transparent about potential conflicts of interest. This is unsurprising, as healthcare providers remain the most common and most trusted source of health information.
But there is an accessibility element that medical professionals must be mindful of, particularly regarding health literacy.
Nearly three-quarters (72%) of respondents said that information that is simple and easy to understand is extremely important to them. Many healthcare providers perform well in this area, the Pew survey showed, with respondents agreeing that clinician-led information is easy to understand (55%), personalized (52%) and convenient to get (49%).
But there's room to grow, as patient demand for healthcare and health information grows faster than providers can meet it. Other sources -- notably health information websites and AI chatbots -- are also considered easy to understand and access.
Healthcare providers shouldn't resist these tools, which make it easier for patients to learn more about their health. Instead, by understanding how patients use them, clinicians can help them determine the best use cases and assess potentially unhelpful guidance.
Sara Heath has reported news related to patient engagement and health equity since 2015.
