August 20, 2025
Move Over Word of Mouth, AI Is the New Doctor Referral
Not long ago, choosing a doctor meant asking a friend, checking an insurance directory, or searching Google. Today, 7 in 10 patients say they’d trust AI to help them decide. A new survey from rater8 of more than 1,000 U.S. patients shows that AI recommendations are rapidly catching up to traditional referrals and review sites as one of the top influences in provider selection.
The findings reveal that AI is quickly becoming a key player in the provider selection process. AI recommendations are now nearly as influential as traditional sources: 29% of patients said review sites guide their decisions, 28% rely on provider referrals, and 26% already look to AI. That influence is expected to grow, with nearly three-quarters of patients (73%) reporting they adopted new digital behaviours in the past year, including using AI chatbots like ChatGPT, voice assistants like Siri and Alexa, and social platforms such as TikTok and Instagram to guide their choices.
“This report reveals a fundamental shift in how patients find and choose a doctor, and it is all driven by technology and AI. There is a major opportunity for healthcare organisations to grow if they embrace these new tools. This is one of many reasons that we are committed to arming healthcare practices with the tools and information they need to improve online visibility and engage with patients consistently, no matter how the landscape evolves,” said Evan Steele, founder and CEO, rater8.
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More than half of respondents (52%) said they trust AI results as much or more than traditional search engines, while only 11% said they don’t trust AI at all. Still, authenticity matters: even though 57% of patients are willing to rely on AI to rank or summarise doctors, what they care about most is seeing verified patient reviews, with 40% saying this is the most important factor in AI-driven results.
The report also highlights the growing influence of social media on patient decisions. Over one-third (35%) of patients say they’ve chosen a doctor based on their social media presence, and almost a quarter (24%) list social platforms as a top influence in selecting a new provider. Notably, 18% of patients only began using social media for healthcare research within the past year, a sign that this trend is accelerating.
Meanwhile, voice search tools like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant are becoming a go-to for quick, practical information: one in four patients started using voice search this year to find doctors. However, most are currently using these tools to locate addresses and contact details rather than digging into reviews or quality-of-care research.
