AI chatbots don't replace online research for patients. They add to it.

A new survey is turning the patient-AI-use argument on its head, revealing that instead of replacing reputable online health resources, AI chatbots are adding to patient education.

The assessment of more than 1,500 healthcare consumers conducted by Luth Research found that 80% of people who use AI to learn more about their health use it alongside other sources. This forms a group the report authors referred to as "hybrid researchers."

This finding is notable, as the healthcare industry debates the merits of patients consulting AI chatbots for health advice. While some experts have decried the practice as a severe patient safety risk, others have acknowledged the role AI chatbots can play in an industry where healthcare access is elusive.

This survey adds to that conversation by focusing on how AI fits into larger patient information-seeking habits, not necessarily whether AI will replace clinician interactions.

The findings are promising, the survey authors indicated, as it seems patients will often use AI in addition to what some consider more reputable online resources, like those published by health systems or leading trade groups. Indeed, among hybrid researchers, these types of online publications are their most favored secondary resources to complement AI.

"What surprised us most is that AI is not pulling patients away from trusted health sources, it is sending them there better informed," Janeen Hazel, senior executive vice president of client solutions at Luth Research, said in a press release. "Patients lean on AI for speed, then turn to trusted sources to validate their findings before acting."

In the instances when hybrid researchers look to AI first, they do so to get a quick and simple answer. For 47%, they turn to AI for a plain-language explanation of what their doctor told them, while 44% said they use AI because it's easier than getting in touch with their doctor.

But the script flips when researching before an upcoming medical appointment. In these cases, hybrid researchers rely on health information websites first and foremost.

Notably, hybrid researchers tend to spend three times as much time researching chronic conditions as those who only use AI. Folks who've been sick for longer are also more likely to turn to multiple resources in addition to AI. For example, folks who've had a chronic disease diagnosis for more than 11 years are 27% more likely to be hybrid researchers.

These findings might help direct healthcare organizations looking to understand consumer engagement habits now that AI has entered the healthcare scene.

"The takeaway for the health information space is not to compete with AI, but to be the trusted destination AI users come to next," Hazel advised.

That's a departure from how some major healthcare organizations have adapted to consumer-facing AI chatbots. Faced with the challenge of maintaining patient relationships -- plus continuity of care -- many healthcare organizations have launched their own branded AI tools.

Still, AI chatbots are in their nascency. It remains to be seen how healthcare organizations can best adapt to the technology and how their patients want to use it.

Sara Heath is an executive editor at Xtelligent Healthcare Media, where she covers patient engagement, healthcare policy and health IT.