The Impact of AI and Social Media on Traditional Healthcare Systems

This CTA research was co-sponsored by CTA’s Digital Health Division and CTA’s Accessibility and Age Tech Working Group and conducted to better understand consumer behavior when obtaining non-emergency healthcare information, including when and why consumers turn to digital information sources such as AI and social media as entry points for receiving healthcare information.

Specifically, the research aimed to understand:

• What is the overall healthcare journey, and where do AI and social media fall into place (if at all)?
• How many consumers are using (or are likely to use) AI and social media as first-line sources for health information?
• What are the benefits and challenges for consumers when using AI and social media for healthcare information?
• In what situations do consumers trust healthcare guidance from AI or social media more (or less) than traditional health systems, and how do consumers validate (if at all) what they find through AI and social media?
• What types and how much of consumers’ personal information are they willing to share with online sources for personalized information vs. their healthcare practitioner (HCP) in traditional health systems?
• What are consumers’ perceptions of the future of healthcare, and how can AI and social media support traditional health systems?

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