Luth Research study finds a new class of "hybrid researchers" who use AI to start their health search but return to trusted health information sites to make care decisions

SAN DIEGO, Sept. 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Luth Research, a leader in consumer behavior and digital tracking research, today released findings from its AI Patient Journey Study. The study combined digital tracking of more than 1,500 consumers and a survey of over 500 patients to map how people move between AI tools, search engines, and health information sites. The headline finding: AI is not replacing how patients research their health, it is adding a new step to it. Roughly 80 percent of patients who use AI for health information use it alongside other sources, giving rise to a group Luth calls "hybrid researchers." Health information sites are their top companion source, used by 6 in 10 AI users.

The research shows a division of labor. 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. But when preparing for an appointment or making a treatment decision, reliance shifts to established health sites trusted for clinical accuracy. That shift grows with experience: hybrid researchers spend three times longer researching chronic conditions than AI-only users, and patients diagnosed for 11 or more years are 27 percent more likely to be hybrid researchers.

"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. "Patients lean on AI for speed, then turn to trusted sources to validate their findings before acting. The takeaway for the health information space is not to compete with AI, but to be the trusted destination AI users come to next."

About the study: Luth passively tracked 1,538 consumers and surveyed 537 patients, all adults 18+ who used AI for health information in the prior year. Fieldwork completed in 2026.

About Luth Research: Luth Research is a full-service market research firm in San Diego, California, specializing in consumer behavior, digital tracking, and survey research. Through its digital tracking technology and SurveySavvy panel, Luth helps brands understand what consumers actually do. www.luthresearch.com | www.surveysavvy.com

Media Contact: Janeen Hazel, Luth Research  |  jhazel@luthresearch.com  |  858.735.5884

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SOURCE Luth Research