"But when Google gives an AI overview, organic click-through rates for search results are only 0.6%, compared to 1.6% when Google doesn't give an AI overview, per September 2025 data from digital marketing agency Seer Interactive. This means potential patients are clicking less on healthcare providers' websites, which "puts the primary source of [historical] new patient acquisition for health systems at risk," Ann Bilyew, president of WebMD Ignite, a B2B growth partner for healthcare organizations, told us."
"About 79% of adults in the US turn to the internet for answers to their health questions, per an April 2025 survey from the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg Public Policy Center. Some 31% of users say AI Overviews "often" or "always" give them the answer they need. According to OpenAI, 230+ million people across the world ask ChatGPT health and wellness questions each week. On Jan. 7, the company announced ChatGPT Health, a dedicated search engine for those queries."
AI tools like chatbots and dedicated AI Overviews are altering how patients find health information. About 79% of US adults turn to the internet for health answers, and 31% report AI Overviews often or always provide needed answers. OpenAI reports over 230 million weekly ChatGPT health queries and launched ChatGPT Health. Tech companies emphasize these tools are not replacements for medical advice and will refer users to care when necessary. Google AI Overviews correlate with lower organic click-through rates, decreasing traffic to provider websites and prompting health systems to adjust patient-acquisition strategies.
Read at Healthcare Brew
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