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(CN) — Though Americans overwhelmingly turn to their doctors and nurses for health information — viewing them as far more accurate than any other source — many also get advice from other individuals facing similar problems, major health websites and increasingly from social media and artificial intelligence chatbots.
That’s according to the Pew Research Center in a report released Tuesday, based on a survey of 5,111 U.S. adults, conducted in October 2025.
The findings come at a time when health information is everywhere — from TikTok videos to chatbot answers — yet Americans still place the highest confidence in trained professionals. Pew notes that 73% of adults pull information from at least three different sources, making the ability to sort good advice from bad more important than ever.
“Health care providers were seen as the most common source of health information and also the source that most Americans say is highly accurate,” Pew Research Associate Giancarlo Pasquini said in a phone interview Tuesday.
Health care providers still top the list how people navigate today’s crowded health information world: 85% of Americans say they get health news from doctors or other medical professionals at least sometimes, including 51% who do so often or extremely often. A strong majority of 65% of those who use this source rate the information as extremely or very accurate. Only 4% call it inaccurate.
Close behind are everyday people dealing with the same health issues. About two-thirds (66%) say they hear from others in similar situations at least sometimes. Major websites like WebMD or Mayo Clinic come in third, used by 60% of adults. News organizations and government health agencies are used by roughly 45% each.
Newer digital options lag far behind but are growing, especially among younger people. Thirty-six percent get health information from social media at least sometimes and 22% turn to AI chatbots such as ChatGPT or Gemini.
Younger adults stand out: half of those under 30 use social media for health info, compared with just 21% of those 65 and older. Uninsured Americans and those with lower incomes are also more likely to rely on these platforms.
Trust levels drop sharply outside traditional medical sources. Among people who use major health websites, 48% call the information highly accurate. For social media, that number falls to just 7%, while 47% say it is not too or not at all accurate. AI chatbots fall in between, with only 18% rating them as highly accurate.
“Younger adults tend to use social media more frequently than older Americans for news in general, and so we see basically the same pattern here, with it being more common when we ask specifically about health information,” Pasquini said.
Pew also highlights a broader problem, that many Americans struggle to discern the truth. Half say it is at least somewhat difficult to judge whether health information is accurate, no matter where it comes from. Younger adults and those with lower incomes report the most trouble.
Even more common is conflicting advice. Three-quarters of Americans say they regularly see health information that contradicts something else they’ve heard — like changing guidance on diet or medications. When that happens, 54% say it’s at least somewhat hard to know whom to trust.
So what do people actually want from their health sources? Pew asked directly.
Three-quarters say it’s extremely or very important that the source has medical training, is transparent about conflicts of interest and is easy to understand. About half also value personal experience with the same health issue. Physical fitness or likability of the person giving advice matters far less.
When people rate the sources they actually use, doctors again come out on top. Roughly half or more of those who talk to health care providers say information from medical professionals is extremely or very easy to understand; 49% rate it for convenience; and 52% say its personalized to their situation.
Major health websites score high on convenience, with 59% rating it very convenient, but low on personalization, with only 10%. Social media and AI chatbots get better marks for convenience than for accuracy. Users are more likely to say these tools are quick and easy to access than to say the advice is trustworthy or tailored to them.
Older adults and those with higher education or income tend to rely more on doctors and established websites. They also report fewer difficulties judging accuracy. Younger adults, by contrast, mix traditional sources with social media and AI, even if they recognize the accuracy risks.
Pasquini said the survey was the first in a package of studies the organization is publishing about the health information landscape.
“We’re interested in the role that these sources play,” he said. “So we wanted to know how frequently are Americans turning to them and what they think. What we found is that there’s a mix in terms of the sources that we asked about.”
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