There is a generation change happening in how health information and care is accessed, understood, and delivered, driven by Gen Z. They are the first generation of digital natives and the first to fully benefit from the Affordable Care Act, which has cut uninsured rates in half for 19- to 25-year-olds, improving access to preventive care services. But now, as they enter adulthood and are becoming responsible for their own health care, this generation is also likely to arrive at the doctor’s office having done their own online research into their condition and care. And once they do visit a provider, 45 percent of adults age 18 to 34 are disregarding their provider’s guidance in favor of information provided by family or friends.
Gen Z’s DIY approach to health care
Fifty-six percent of Gen Z report using TikTok for wellness, diet, and fitness advice and view it as their primary source of health information, according to one survey. Fast, free, and simple access to information are some of the top reasons why Gen Z turns to social media platforms for advice. At the same time, our traditional health care system can make navigating the patient journey quite cumbersome. In fact, 61 percent of Americans already feel that the health care system is a hassle and lacks a personal touch. It’s no surprise that as younger patients expect fast, convenient access to care, they will increasingly take non-emergent matters into their own hands and shape their own vision of what health care should look like. For example, one study found that 44 percent of Americans self-diagnose mental health conditions like anxiety, ADHD, or OCD rather than seek professional treatment.
Health care where and when they want it
Health care in 2025 does not look the same for Gen Z, and even millennials, as it does for their parents or grandparents. Patients want answers fast and don’t want to leave their long-awaited appointments with unanswered questions. As such, while telehealth and retail clinics existed before COVID-19, they are now a permanent and pervasive part of Gen Z’s health care ecosystem for quick and convenient care access. A recent study found that 30 percent of Gen Z had their last health care visit remotely and led all age groups in the use of urgent care. This level of convenience and choice is good, but it also means that there is a growing need to have a single, cohesive connective tissue for health care information for providers to avoid conflicting evidence and decision-making.
Rewriting the rules of patient engagement
As patients increasingly have a proactive role in their health care, our industry must adapt to this new era of consumer empowerment. It’s incredible to see the growing willingness among the broader population to take an active role in their health. Health care professionals would be smart to embrace this eagerness rather than dismiss their interest, which may require a culture shift throughout our workforce. In fact, according to a recent survey of health care professionals, consumerism is expected to accelerate change over the next several years, with 70 percent of respondents acknowledging that meeting changing patient expectations is having an impact on their organization. With this change, we should realize that patients should not just be at the center of their care. Instead, they should be part of the broader care team, where health care professionals partner alongside them throughout their care journeys.
Imagine a patient arriving for an appointment, whether in person or virtually, with their own lab results, research, and potentially a self-diagnosis or treatment plan they created from ChatGPT. For providers, it’s a perfect opportunity to educate them on their findings, ultimately rebranding the physician and patient relationship and helping to ensure safety. It could also be an opportunity to encourage health care providers to educate patients about the evidence-based content and tools being used in practice, especially when research shows that 60 percent of health care professionals believe generative AI will improve the patient experience or 41 percent think that ambient listening will enrich the patient and provider relationship.
The future is collaborative.
Health care professionals have an opportunity to meet patients where they are. That means being open and listening to the information patients are presenting them with, whether it’s from TikTok or Apple’s artificial intelligence (AI) health coach, and providing them with the same vetted resources that doctors are using to help make medical decisions. With the emergence of AI partnerships and digital health, these evidence-based resources are increasingly becoming available to patients through their patient portal or local pharmacy. Taking the time to walk patients through such materials can instill a new level of trust and collaboration, where patients will feel seen and are more likely to remain engaged in their health and adhere to their treatment and clinical guidelines.
It’s up to our health care providers and system leaders to choose the route. Will you be supportive or skeptical? Our profession must embrace the change and choose the path that will help us restore the patient and provider relationship that our grandparents all grew up having. Gen Z does not want to be on the sidelines of their care. In a world of consumerism and technological advances, the future of health care is already here, and the generations that grew up online are shaping it. It’s time for us to change our mindset.
Amanda Heidemann is the senior clinical content consultant for clinical effectiveness at Wolters Kluwer Health. She is board-certified in family medicine and clinical informatics, bringing her extensive experience to Wolters Kluwer and the UpToDate® team to work with health administrators and care organizations seeking clinical transformation and optimization of technology solutions. She is passionate about using technology to enhance the patient-physician relationship and to deliver high-quality health care. More about her professional background can be found on her LinkedIn profile.
