How GLP-1s and AI are changing the way consumers interact with healthcare

New EY research shows consumer use of AI tools for healthcare is changing the way they seek healthcare.

In brief

• New EY survey data shows consumers using information from AI tools and search engines to request new tests or prescriptions, delay care and self-diagnose.
• While the majority of GLP-1 users obtained prescriptions through a health professional, two in five turned to fully online providers or informal sources.
• Health organizations will need to shift from episodic, reactive treatment to continuous proactive relationships as consumers see more options.

Roughly 230 million people every week are asking health-related questions on ChatGPT.¹ The EY Global Consumer Health Survey 2026 finds that consumers are also finding ways to circumvent the traditional healthcare system to obtain GLP-1 weight loss medication by nontraditional means. These moves signal to health leaders how consumer interactions with the care delivery system may be shifting. It also raises the question around consumer comfort and if consumers will be more comfortable with direct-to-consumer or nontraditional sources.

AI and digital tools are impacting how consumers interact with the care delivery system

EY research suggests consumers are taking a more confident role in interacting with healthcare providers, based on what they learn from AI or online searches. Consider this: 70% of global respondents say they have requested or would consider requesting a test, treatment or prescription based on information they obtained from search engines; 56% say the same for information they learned from AI, surpassing social media (45%) as a driver of action.

In some cases, digital channels are being used in place of immediate care-seeking, with many who delay care turning to online search (41%) and AI tools (31%) as alternatives.

Nearly three in four respondents say that in three to five years, it is likely that people will be using technology to routinely assess or self-diagnose health issues before seeing a healthcare professional.

However, the survey results also show a significant level of trust remaining with doctors, as 89% say their doctor is reliable, compared with 68% for AI tools, 61% for search engines, and 49% for social media. Higher numbers of those with chronic conditions turn to their doctors.

One evergreen problem is how health systems can incorporate wearable data that patients track themselves. While 57% of respondents are tracking their healthcare data, only 30% say their doctor has access to their wearable data and actively uses it. Respondents have flagged wearable data as a primary driver in helping them change their exercise habits and other health behaviors.

Global respondents indicated more comfort with health systems using AI for interactions like booking appointments (65%), but their enthusiasm declined the closer AI moved to treatment. Only 49% were comfortable with AI use in treatment decisions.

However, GLP-1 users are nearly twice as likely to report negative outcomes after acting on health information they received from AI (43% vs. 23%). This rises sharply among those who obtained their GLP-1 prescription through an informal source (63%) compared with those who obtained it through a healthcare professional (38%).

While digital channels are making it easier to access treatment quickly or to get around denials, users who receive prescriptions through a healthcare professional show somewhat lower rates of discontinuation. Those who get GLP-1 prescriptions through the traditional pathway are less likely to be lapsed GLP-1 users (41%) versus those who sourced through online providers (47% discontinued use) and informal channels (49%), suggesting stronger follow-through when a professional is part of the process.

Global leaders agree on the path forward to the Future of Health in 2040

All these signals point to a segment of healthcare consumers who have more information than ever before and more options to circumvent the traditional healthcare system. Still, another group struggles with access and affordability. The deluge of available data creates stress for some, as 50% of those who track their health data feel inundated, compared with 39% who do not track.

Legacy models cannot offer the care experience that consumers seek. Health organizations have an opportunity to determine strategies for these different consumer personas to improve health and wellness. And there is a clear future model that can address all segments. But it will require bold leadership and diligent execution of a future-ready care delivery model that is grounded in three pillars:

1. Citizen-enabled. This involves moving from episodic, reactive treatment of illness to continuous proactive support that reflects the reality of how people live their lives. It considers the system around them, including caregivers, friends and family who also may need to help navigate the system. Instead of being overwhelmed by data, health systems and patients will be driven by data insights that move them toward personalized pathways. Trust continues to be even more critical in this new paradigm.
   “While many believe they are already patient-centric, the real challenge lies in truly placing the patient at the center of care. We must ask ourselves: how do we integrate digital solutions to serve them, rather than just serving our organization?” said Noor Shabib, Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer for King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Saudi Arabia.
2. Care is within reach of the patient wherever they are. The system shifts from hospitals dominating delivery by default to always-on support from diverse providers, enabled by wearables and sensors. Consumers no longer wait for disconnected appointments or for their condition to worsen to seek care. Care is delivered where and when the consumer needs it with a focus on prevention. But leaders will need to chart that path forward, sharing a clear vision to bring along all stakeholders to envision that future, from policymakers to patients and clinicians.
3. Integrated to focus on outcomes. Current models are broken and health leaders can’t continue pouring resources into systems that don’t keep people healthy. The system must move from fragmented, activity-driven inputs to integrated systems focused on outcomes. “We should start with the invisibility of the system so the health system will be a continuous relationship between patients and providers and not a set of disconnected episodes as they are now,” said Jordi Piera Jimenez, CEO at openEHR International.

Health systems and consumers are collecting reams of data; the key will be not allowing systems and patients to be overwhelmed by it. Future-ready health systems will integrate data systems to extract powerful insights to drive toward preventative, personalized care pathways.