AI health advice use points to deeper care problems, doctor says
A UCLA critical care physician says chatbot use for health questions reflects delayed access, cost barriers and weak trust in care.
By Priya Raghavan · Science Reporter
2 min read
A UCLA pulmonary and critical care physician says patients’ use of AI health advice reflects pressure on the health care system as well as a shift in how people seek medical information. In a commentary published in Annals of Internal Medicine, Robert B. Shpiner, MD, argues that warnings about chatbot risks do not address why many patients ask artificial intelligence tools first.
The American College of Physicians said Shpiner is a clinical professor of pulmonary and critical care at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. His commentary, titled “Why Patients Ask the Chatbot First,” focuses on the reasons patients may turn to AI before they reach a clinician.
Recent data cited by the American College of Physicians show that 32% of U.S. adults used AI for health information or advice in the past year. Those adults pointed to several reasons: difficulty getting timely appointments, lack of a regular physician, unaffordable care and doubt that the health care system would respond effectively.
Why are patients using AI for health advice?
Shpiner says patients often choose chatbots because they are available immediately. According to the American College of Physicians, he also identifies billing problems, prior authorization and hard-to-use portal communication as health system shortcomings that can push patients toward chatbot use.
The commentary does not dismiss safety concerns around AI-generated health guidance. Shpiner acknowledges those risks, according to the American College of Physicians, but argues that focusing only on patient warnings leaves the underlying access and communication problems untouched.
That argument places chatbot use within a wider problem for clinicians and policymakers. If patients cannot get a timely answer through ordinary medical channels, an instantly available tool may become their first stop for health questions, even when the tool carries risks.
What does Shpiner say should change?
Shpiner says AI policy and governance in health care will fall short if they deal only with the technology. According to the American College of Physicians, he argues that efforts to reduce AI-related risks must also address the structural problems that drive patients to seek advice from chatbots.
The commentary was published in Annals of Internal Medicine in 2026 under the DOI 10.7326/ANNALS-26-01819. The American College of Physicians provided the publication details.
This story draws on original reporting from Medical Xpress.