While most people over 50 turn to the internet for health information, a recent poll shows that 74% of them do not trust health information if it’s generated by artificial intelligence (AI).
This lack of trust in AI is particularly significant given that many older adults are already concerned about identifying misinformation online.
About 20% of people in this age group said they have little or no confidence in their ability to recognize false health information if they come across it.
These concerns are even higher among those who report having mental or physical health challenges, memory problems, or disabilities that limit their daily activities.
In other words, those who might need accurate health information the most are also the ones who feel least confident in their ability to spot misleading information.
Among the older adults who have recently searched for health information online, only 32% found it easy to identify something trustworthy. This highlights a serious problem with the current state of online health resources for this age group.
These findings come from a study conducted by researchers from the University of Michigan and AARP, using data from the National Poll on Healthy Aging.
The goal of the study was to better understand how older adults find and assess health information, especially in a world where technology is changing the way people access information.
The researchers suggest that health systems, universities, nonprofits, and government agencies can use these results to create and share health information that is accurate and easy to understand.
They see a growing opportunity for organizations to help older adults learn how to find reliable health information on their own or for others.
The poll also highlights how important it is for older adults to receive health information from trusted sources. In the past year, 84% of people over 50 got health information from a healthcare provider, pharmacist, or a family member with a medical background.
Over 70% of them trusted their healthcare providers and pharmacists, while 62% felt the same about family or friends who have medical knowledge.
When it comes to the internet, only 58% of the older adults polled had used at least one online source for health information in the past year.
The most popular websites were .com sites like WebMD and Healthline, with 39% of older adults visiting these types of websites. However, only 36% of those who used such sites felt that the information was highly trustworthy.
In comparison, 59% of older adults who visited a hospital or healthcare system’s website found the information very trustworthy. Far fewer people visited government health sites or nonprofit organizations’ websites, but among those who did, about 60% felt these were reliable sources of information.
Jeffrey Kullgren, M.D., who leads the poll, emphasized that despite the growing use of the internet for health information, older adults still trust their healthcare providers and pharmacists more than any other source.
He added that even friends or family members with a medical background can play an important role in providing trustworthy health advice.
There’s also a significant gap in understanding AI-generated content. Indira Venkat, a senior vice president at AARP, pointed out that while AI technology has great potential to support healthy aging, it’s clear from this poll that older adults are hesitant to trust it.
She stressed the importance of providing them with reliable, easy-to-access health resources.
To help older adults navigate the digital world of health information, AARP offers free resources and classes. Their Senior Planet program teaches older adults how to recognize AI in everyday life, understand its current limitations, and prepare for how it will shape the future.
Other poll findings show that some older adults still struggle with traditional health information, such as understanding instructions from their doctors or reading medical labels.
Eighteen percent of people over 50 said they hadn’t used the internet to look up health information in the past year, with the percentage being highest among those over 65, people with lower education levels, and Black non-Hispanic individuals.
The poll also revealed that 14% of older adults had difficulty understanding written health information from their doctors, and 26% were unsure about the costs of upcoming medical procedures.
Despite these challenges, most older adults felt confident in their ability to handle medical forms and prescription labels.
The poll was conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago in February and March 2024, with responses from 3,379 adults aged 50 to 101. The results provide important insights into the health literacy challenges faced by older adults in the U.S. today.
If you care about health, please read studies that vitamin D can help reduce inflammation, and vitamin K could lower your heart disease risk by a third.
For more health information, please see recent studies about new way to halt excessive inflammation, and results showing foods that could cause inflammation.
Copyright © 2024 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
