More patients arrive at doctor's appointments with an AI-generated diagnosis
A survey by LSM.lv and Norstat shows that almost a quarter of young people in Latvia turn to artificial intelligence first when facing a health problem, rather than consulting a doctor. Physicians say this is changing both patient behavior and their own work.
Where patients once searched for their symptoms on Google before a doctor's visit, more and more people are now turning to AI tools such as ChatGPT, Claude or Perplexity. Dermatologist Raimonds Karls has noticed the shift too, saying patients increasingly mention in conversation what artificial intelligence has "told" them about their health condition.
Changing habits among young people
A public survey conducted by LSM.lv together with the research agency Norstat found that almost a quarter of young people in Latvia, when facing a health issue, choose to consult artificial intelligence first — ahead of visiting a doctor or checking other sources of information.
Questions about reliability
The trend raises questions about how safe it is to rely on AI-generated advice for health matters. Doctors increasingly have to factor in the preconceived ideas patients bring with them, formed with the help of AI about a possible diagnosis or treatment, which do not always match a professional's assessment. This is reshaping both how patients approach seeing a specialist and the daily work of doctors themselves, who often must explain or refute information suggested by artificial intelligence.
