WASHINGTON — In an era flooded with health advice from every direction, most Americans still rely on a familiar source: their doctors.
A new Pew Research Center report finds that 85% of U.S. adults get health information from health care providers at least sometimes — far more than any other source — and most view that information as the most accurate available.
The report highlights a complex and often confusing health information landscape, where Americans are turning to a mix of traditional and emerging sources, including websites, social media, and even artificial intelligence tools.
About two-thirds of Americans say they also get health information from people experiencing similar health issues, while 60% turn to major health websites. Smaller shares report using newer sources, with 36% citing social media and 22% using AI chatbots for health-related information.
Despite the wide range of sources, confidence varies sharply. Roughly 65% of those who rely on health care providers say the information they receive is highly accurate, compared to just 7% who say the same about social media.
At the same time, many Americans acknowledge difficulty navigating the volume of information. Half say it is at least somewhat difficult to determine whether health information is accurate, and a similar share report struggling to know what to trust when they encounter conflicting advice.
Those challenges are widespread across age and income groups, though younger adults and lower-income Americans are more likely to report difficulty evaluating information.
The report also found that most Americans want their health information to come from sources with medical training, transparency, and clear, easy-to-understand explanations — factors that help explain why providers continue to rank highest in both use and trust.
Researchers say the findings underscore a growing tension: while access to health information has never been greater, confidence in that information remains uneven, leaving many Americans to navigate a crowded and often contradictory landscape.
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