San Diego – September 18, 2026 -- A new AI Patient Journey Study from Luth Research finds that roughly 80 percent of patients who use AI for health information pair it with other sources, forming a group the firm labels "hybrid researchers." The study tracked more than 1,500 consumers digitally and surveyed over 500 patients to map movement between AI tools, search engines, and health information sites.
AI speeds initial queries but trusted sites close the decision loop
Patients turn to AI first for speed and plain-language answers: 47 percent use it to explore a doctor's explanation more deeply, and 44 percent say asking AI is easier than asking their physician. When preparing for an appointment or making a treatment decision, reliance shifts to established health information sites trusted for clinical accuracy, which are used by 6 in 10 AI users as a companion source.
Experience with chronic conditions deepens reliance on hybrid research patterns
Hybrid researchers spend three times longer researching chronic conditions than AI-only users. Patients diagnosed for 11 or more years are 27 percent more likely to be hybrid researchers, indicating that longer disease experience correlates with greater cross-checking behavior between AI and clinical sources.
"What surprised us most is that AI is not pulling patients away from trusted health sources, it is sending them there better informed," said Janeen Hazel, SEVP, Client Solutions at Luth Research. She added that patients lean on AI for speed, then turn to trusted sources to validate findings before acting, and that health information sites should aim to be the destination AI users turn to next rather than compete directly with AI tools.
The study passively tracked 1,538 consumers and surveyed 537 patients, all adults aged 18 and older who used AI for health information in the prior year. Fieldwork was completed in 2026.