How frequently are Aussies getting medical advice from ChatGPT?

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2025-02-18 09:25

Australia; NSW

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One in ten Australians may have already used ChatGPT to ask medical questions, according to a survey of about 2,000 Australians conducted in mid 2024. The researchers asked the participants whether they were aware of the artificial intelligence chatbot, and whether they had asked it medical questions. They say 84.7% of participants knew about ChatGPT and 9.9% had already used it to obtain health-related information, while a further 38.8% were considering doing so in the next six months. Questions most frequently related to a specific health condition, finding out what symptoms mean, finding actions to take, and understanding medical terms, the researchers say, athough they found 61% of participants who had asked ChatGPT for medical information had asked a question that typically would need a doctor's input.  People who face barriers to healthcare access such as those with limited English or low health literacy were more likely to use ChatGPT, the researchers say.