Published by ReCo | AUGUST 2026

AI and Health Search in 2026: What Health Organisations Need to Know

How Australians now search for health information, what AI cites, and what you must do to stay visible.

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How Patients Find Information Has Changed

9.9%

Of Australian adults asked ChatGPT a health question in six months

(Medical Journal of Australia, 2025)

68%

Of Australians report moderate to high trust in AI in healthcare

(Zhou, Hoda & Ling, 2026)

8%

Click-through to the top organic result when an AI Overview appears, down from 15%

(Pew Research Center)

Traffic to authoritative health sites is falling, while AI-assisted misinformation rises.

Between 2024 and 2026, health search in Australia changed shape. AI systems now synthesise answers instead of returning links, and users often never leave the search interface: around 60% of searches end without a click, rising past 80% when an AI Overview resolves the query.

Speak with Us

(Similarweb & SparkToro)

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01

Patient Behaviour Shift

02

Brand Visibility Shift

03

AI Citation Checklist

1

Patient Behaviour Shift

KEY FACTORS

Access & Cost

27%

Delayed or did not see a GP when needed

(ABS Patient Experiences, 2024–25)

7.7%

Delayed or did not see a GP because of cost

(ABS Patient Experiences, 2024–25)

9.9%

Of Australian adults asked ChatGPT a health question in six months

(Medical Journal of Australia, 2025)

BEHAVIOURS

Do People Trust AI?

Trust Splits by Task,
Not by Risk

Patients trust AI to explain. 53% trust it to understand symptoms and 47% to learn about a condition, but only 12% to maintain their wellbeing and 9% to manage an ongoing condition.

(Phreesia, 3,200 US patients, April 2026)

Most Users Trust AI Health Information

68% of Australians report moderate to high trust in AI in healthcare, but only 16% report high or very high trust.

(Zhou, Hoda & Ling, 2026)

Speak with Us

01

02

03

1

Patient Behaviour Shift

KEY FACTORS

Access & Cost

27%

Delayed or did not see a GP when needed

(ABS Patient Experiences, 2024–25)

7.7%

Delayed or did not see a GP because of cost

(ABS Patient Experiences, 2024–25)

9.9%

Of Australian adults asked ChatGPT a health question in six months

(Medical Journal of Australia, 2025)

BEHAVIOURS

Do People Trust AI?

Trust Splits by Task,
Not by Risk

Patients trust AI to explain. 53% trust it to understand symptoms and 47% to learn about a condition, but only 12% to maintain their wellbeing and 9% to manage an ongoing condition.

(Phreesia, 3,200 US patients, April 2026)

Most Users Trust AI Health Information

68% of Australians report moderate to high trust in AI in healthcare, but only 16% report high or very high trust.

(Zhou, Hoda & Ling, 2026)

Speak with Us

01

02

03

1

Patient Behaviour Shift

KEY FACTORS

Access & Cost

27%

Delayed or did not see a GP when needed

(ABS Patient Experiences, 2024–25)

7.7%

Delayed or did not see a GP because of cost

(ABS Patient Experiences, 2024–25)

9.9%

Of Australian adults asked ChatGPT a health question in six months

(Medical Journal of Australia, 2025)

BEHAVIOURS

Do People Trust AI?

Trust Splits by Task,
Not by Risk

Patients trust AI to explain. 53% trust it to understand symptoms and 47% to learn about a condition, but only 12% to maintain their wellbeing and 9% to manage an ongoing condition.

(Phreesia, 3,200 US patients, April 2026)

Most Users Trust AI Health Information

68% of Australians report moderate to high trust in AI in healthcare, but only 16% report high or very high trust.

(Zhou, Hoda & Ling, 2026)

Speak with Us

To maintain visibility and trust online, Australian health organisations must rebuild their content for AI reading, within strict TGA and AHPRA rules.

Discuss how we can support your organisation.

Book a Call

To maintain visibility and trust online, Australian health organisations must rebuild their content for AI reading, within strict TGA and AHPRA rules.

Discuss how we can support your organisation.

Book a Call

To maintain visibility and trust online, Australian health organisations must rebuild their content for AI reading, within strict TGA and AHPRA rules.

Discuss how we can support your organisation.

Book a Call

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We build your website so AI can read, quote and cite. A system your team can extend without a developer.

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We build custom AI-powered marketing systems for your organisation. Research, verification, and content production, all centred on your brand.

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What We Do

AI-Ready Website

We build your website so AI can read, quote and cite. A system your team can extend without a developer.

Learn More

Wasteland art installation suspended in a Sydney atrium. Low-angle shot of a multi-story glass building atrium with an intricate installation of orange spheres suspended from the ceiling, representing systematic structure and connectivity. Created by Danling Xiao, Mundane Matters. Copyright ReCo. Photo by Katherine Griffiths for City of Sydney.

Content System

We turn your expertise into a reliable pipeline of high-performing content. Strategy, creative and AI working together.

Learn More

Wasteland art installation suspended in a Sydney atrium. Low-angle shot of a multi-story glass building atrium with an intricate installation of orange spheres suspended from the ceiling, representing systematic structure and connectivity. Created by Danling Xiao, Mundane Matters. Copyright ReCo. Photo by Katherine Griffiths for City of Sydney.

AI Innovation

We build custom AI-powered marketing systems for your organisation. Research, verification, and content production, all centred on your brand.

Learn More

ReCo LIVE 2025 team workshop collaborating around a laptop in Sydney. A collaborative team of marketing professionals and business owners gathered around a laptop during an AI and strategy workshop. Photo by Jason de Plater for ReCo. Event supported by the City of Sydney.

What We Do

AI-Ready Website

We build your website so AI can read, quote and cite. A system your team can extend without a developer.

Learn More

Wasteland art installation suspended in a Sydney atrium. Low-angle shot of a multi-story glass building atrium with an intricate installation of orange spheres suspended from the ceiling, representing systematic structure and connectivity. Created by Danling Xiao, Mundane Matters. Copyright ReCo. Photo by Katherine Griffiths for City of Sydney.

Content System

We turn your expertise into a reliable pipeline of high-performing content. Strategy, creative and AI working together.

Learn More

Wasteland art installation suspended in a Sydney atrium. Low-angle shot of a multi-story glass building atrium with an intricate installation of orange spheres suspended from the ceiling, representing systematic structure and connectivity. Created by Danling Xiao, Mundane Matters. Copyright ReCo. Photo by Katherine Griffiths for City of Sydney.

AI Innovation

We build custom AI-powered marketing systems for your organisation. Research, verification, and content production, all centred on your brand.

Learn More

ReCo LIVE 2025 team workshop collaborating around a laptop in Sydney. A collaborative team of marketing professionals and business owners gathered around a laptop during an AI and strategy workshop. Photo by Jason de Plater for ReCo. Event supported by the City of Sydney.

Let's Work Together

If you're navigating the AI age, you need a marketing system that works. Let's build yours.

Book a Call

Let's Work Together

If you're navigating the AI age, you need a marketing system that works. Let's build yours.

Book a Call

Let's Work Together

If you're navigating the AI age, you need a marketing system that works. Let's build yours.

Book a Call

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Health Marketing FAQs

Sources

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics — Patient Experiences, 2024–25

2. Ayre et al. — Use of ChatGPT to obtain health information in Australia, Medical Journal of Australia, 2025

3. Zhou, Hoda & Ling — Consumer Attitudes Towards AI in Digital Health, Australia, 2026

4. KPMG & University of Melbourne — Trust in AI: Global Insights, 2025

5. Similarweb — Zero-click marketing study

6. SparkToro — Less than one third of Google searches still send a click

7. Ahrefs — AI Overview citations from top-ranking pages (via Search Engine Journal)

8. Pew Research Center — AI Overviews and click-through (via Search Engine Land)

9. SE Ranking — llms.txt: why brands rely on it and why it doesn’t work

10. Healthdirect Australia — An AI health assistant Australians can trust

11. TGA — Understanding how we regulate software-based medical devices

12. TGA — Advertising therapeutic goods on social media

13. Clayton Utz — TGA compliance principles for 2026 and 2027

14. Phreesia — Patient trust in AI by health task, April 2026 (via eMarketer)

Disclaimer: This briefing was researched using ReCo Content AI, our proprietary agentic content system, and edited by the ReCo team. It draws on published research and regulator guidance from 2024 to 2026. The information provided is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal, clinical, or regulatory advice. Organisations should consult qualified advisors for guidance on TGA, AHPRA and DTA obligations.