EY Global Consumer Health Survey 2026: Health organizations must rethink care delivery as AI and digital channels reshape how people seek and access care

AI is changing how consumers engage with care

The report highlights that consumers are increasingly arriving in clinical settings with a point of view shaped by digital information. Seventy percent of global respondents say they have requested or would consider requesting a test, treatment or prescription based on information from search engines. In the US that number rose to 75%.

AI also influenced consumers to ask for more care, with 56% of global respondents saying they have requested a test, treatment or prescription based on information learned from AI, surpassing social media (45%) as a driver of action. As digital influence rises, health systems have an opportunity and responsibility to guide consumers toward safe, trusted decision making and appropriate care pathways.

Digital influence is reshaping how consumers access GLP 1s

While most respondents who use GLP 1 medications obtained prescriptions through a health professional (58%), a sizable share report accessing them through direct and digitally enabled channels, including weight management programs (23%), fully online providers (20%) or informal sources such as friends or family (20%). Patterns vary by market: 68% of respondents in Australia and 66% from Saudi Arabia say they obtain GLP 1 prescriptions from a doctor, compared with 57% in the US and 37% in the UK.

GLP 1 user respondents are also more digitally engaged, and they are significantly more likely to rely on AI for health information (60% vs. 37% of non GLP 1 users) and to use social media for health information (37% vs. 20%).

Generational differences are also significant, as Gen Z and Gen Y user respondents are more likely than Gen X and baby boomers respondents to obtain GLP 1s through online providers (27% vs. 10%) or informal sources (26% vs. 9%) and are more likely to report lifestyle driven outcomes such as physical appearance (35% vs. 18%) and mental wellbeing (34% vs. 14%).

Safety, follow through and the value of clinical connection

As consumers act on digital health information and access treatment through nontraditional channels, the risks associated with poor guidance and weak follow‑through become more visible. GLP 1 user respondents are nearly twice as likely as non users to report negative outcomes after acting on health information received from AI (43% vs. 23%). That figure rises to 63% among respondents who obtained GLP 1 prescriptions through informal sources, compared with 38% among respondents who obtained them through a healthcare professional. The survey also suggests that connection to care teams may support continuity: respondents who sourced GLP 1s through a healthcare professional were less likely to be lapsed users (41%) than those using online providers (47%) or informal channels (49%).

Kim Dalla Torre, EY Global and EY Americas Health Leader, says:

“As AI becomes a front door to health information, health organizations need to recognize that digital influence no longer stops at awareness; it is shaping how people seek treatment and access care.

“The data also shows why safe access and follow up matter, especially as new therapies like GLP 1s are accessed through digital and nontraditional channels. Health organizations can reduce risk and improve outcomes by pairing that convenience with clear guardrails, verified information and proactive care support.”

Looking ahead

Health organizations can respond to rising consumer assertiveness by moving from episodic, reactive treatment to continuous, proactive relationships, supported by digital tools designed for trust, privacy and safety. The survey findings point to three practical focus areas:

Citizen enabled: Delivering proactive, personalized support that helps people make informed decisions and manage health continuously, not just during episodes of illness.
Care within reach: Meeting consumers where they are through connected channels, including virtual and in person options, supported by interoperable data and the responsible use of wearables and remote monitoring.
Integrated and outcomes focused: Shifting from fragmented, activity driven inputs to integrated care models focused on outcomes. Today, while 57% of respondents track health data, only 30% say their doctor has access to and actively uses wearable data, highlighting the opportunity to connect consumer generated data to clinical decision making.

Looking ahead, nearly three in four respondents say it is likely that within three to five years people will use technology to routinely assess or self diagnose health issues before seeing a healthcare professional, increasing the urgency for health systems to provide clear guidance, guardrails and equitable access.

For the full analysis, data and recommendations, read the complete EY Global Consumer Health Report.

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Notes to editors

About EY Global Consumer Health Report

Research methodology

A total of 7,697 x 10-15 minute online surveys with consumers aged 18 and over
Seven markets: Australia, Canada, Europe West (Switzerland, Germany and Italy), Republic of Ireland, Saudia Arabia, the United Kingdom, and the United States
Random stratified sampling approach with quotas on gender, age (18 years and older), and market based on census data. All data were weighted to match this criteria
Sample was drawn from an approved sample provider

Nationally representative: All survey data have been weighted equally across the seven key markets, as well as weighted to be nationally representative according to the latest census data for each individual market.