KFF Tracking Poll on Health Information and Trust: Use of Social Media and AI For Health Information and Advice Authors: Grace Sparks, Julian Montalvo III, Alex Montero, and Ashley Kirzinger Published: Jun 17, 2026

https://www.kff.org/public-opinion/kff-tracking-poll-on-health-information-and-trust-use-of-social-media-and-ai-for-health-information-and-advice/?utm_campaign=KFF-Polling-Surveys&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8RH5tY2P-J8aBdnR7vB7EV53zBfQjT1UFObn5VZiJjuKEDAYiuZRrFskdQPKTEXHmBeiFcNtf4fq1bRkSjf0ISiOWcrg&_hsmi=424227441&utm_content=424227441&utm_source=hs_email Poll: Public Uses Social Media for Health Information to Understand Others’ Experiences and Get Immediate Information; Some Also Say They Rely On It Due to Lack of Regular Access to Health Care Providers Roughly three in ten (31%) adults say they use social media, such as Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok or YouTube, for health information at least monthly, often to learn from other people with similar health conditions and experiences or to get immediate information, a new KFF Tracking Poll on Health Information and Trust finds. Among people who use social media for health information at least occasionally, more than a third (36%) say a “major reason” is to learn from the experiences of others. A similar share cite a desire for immediate information or support as a “major reason.” A smaller share (17%) cite a limited ability to access or afford visits with a health care provider as a “major reason,” similar to the shares who said these were “major reason” why they relied on Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools or chatbots, such as ChatGPT, Google Gemini, or Claude, for health information back in March. Overall, four in ten (42%) of those who use social media for health information cite access or cost as at least a "minor reason," and this rises to about half of those with lower incomes (49%) and LGBT adults (55%), two groups with historically less access to regular health care, suggesting that online tools might be filling this gap for certain groups. The poll also finds that slim majorities are at least somewhat confident that they can tell when health information they obtain from social media or artificial intelligence (AI) is true or false, and that often people don’t follow up with other sources, such as health care professionals, health information websites, or government agencies. Contact: Craig Palosky | 202.654.1369 | CraigP@kff.org