Almost half of patients use AI for online provider search

AI provider search is becoming more than just a passing fad, with new survey data from rater8 showing that more patients rely on AI chatbots, such as ChatGPT or Gemini, to help them find a doctor.

But those bots aren't always right, the data further reveals, sometimes giving patients the wrong address or office hours. To combat those problems, healthcare organizations need to invest more heavily in their online reputations.

AI chatbots have quickly revolutionized the patient experience of care. The technology has streamlined how patients access care, from messaging their providers to finding a provider in the first place.

Indeed, the number of patients using AI chatbots for provider search has surged over the nine months since rater8 last explored the topic. At the end of 2025, 31% of patients were using AI to find a new provider. Now, less than halfway into 2026, that number has surged 16 percentage points to 47%.

AI adopters are mostly older folks, aged 45-60, with 64% saying they've used AI to find a doctor. For ounger adults,  aged 18-29, that figure is 28%.

And it's not just that patients are using AI to find a doctor -- they're trusting it.

Among the numerous sources patients use to find a new doctor, 36% said AI swayed their decision about care. This outpaces Google search results (34%) for the first time ever.

Sources such as family or friends (43%), insurance websites (43%) and online review websites (40%) continue to be the most influential for patients.

Still, it's only a matter of time before patients become predominantly influenced by AI. At present, 27% of patients trust AI over Google search to serve them up a qualified provider. In fact, patients trust AI even when the tools are wrong.

Of the 465 survey respondents who've used AI to research a provider, two-thirds said they've encountered incorrect provider information, and 60% trust AI summaries without verifying them. That information includes wrong office addresses, phone numbers, insurance details or office hours.

This finding isn't just about AI hallucination; it's about inaccurate online profiles. Without accurate provider directories, AI cannot generate accurate information to meet patient queries.

To that end, healthcare organizations must ensure their online directories and profiles -- including those in Zocdoc, Healthgrades or even Google -- are accurate and complete.

Moreover, healthcare organizations need to stay abreast of how patients are querying to find new doctors. After all, most experts agree that showing up in an AI provider search requires the same principles as ranking high for a Google search.

According to rater8, the most common search queries include the following:

• "Specialty near me" (55%).
• "Best/top-rated specialty" (34%).
• "Specific doctor's name" (32%).
• "Reviews for a practice" (26%).
• "Specialty + insurance" (23%).

To ensure their online profiles are accurate, administrators must clean up online provider directories, update information on accepted insurance and ensure office hours and specialties are accurate, among others.