New 2026 Future of Health Report from the ZS Impact Institute reveals patients are using AI to take control of a healthcare system that isn't working for them
Healthcare no longer begins in the doctor's office, according to the 2026 Future of Health Report from the ZS Impact Institute. The global study of more than 10,000 healthcare consumers and providers shows approximately 90% of people who use AI and digital tools for health information trust it nearly as much as their doctor, signaling a fundamental shift in how care starts. The study also shows that 45%-68% of patients report they delay care until they become sick. For healthcare leaders, the implication is clear: As patient behavior evolves, healthcare must adapt for patients or risk losing ground.
2026 Future of Health Report covers how AI is rewiring the ways patients engage with care
Patients are directing their own care before they ever see a doctor. According to the report:
- 42% of U.S. consumers research symptoms online before deciding whether to see a doctor
- 52% of patients in the U.S. now request specific medications, taking a more active role in directing their health
- 68% of healthcare providers report an increase in patients requesting therapies by name, changing the patient-provider dynamic
This growing trust in AI is accelerating the shift in where and how patients make decisions, often before the traditional healthcare system is involved at all.
"Patients are changing faster than the system designed to serve them," said Jon Roffman, ZS principal and lead contributor to the 2026 Future of Health Report. "AI has put medical knowledge directly in patients' hands, but the healthcare system still assumes patients will come to it first. That model has changed. Patients are more informed and empowered. To keep them engaged, the system must reduce friction with its own set of AI and technology tools to deliver more connected, supportive care."
The report, which investigated healthcare experiences across the U.S., Germany and China, shows this shift is consistent across healthcare systems, pointing to a broader breakdown in how patients seek and experience care globally. In each market, patients are disengaging because navigating care feels complex, fragmented and misaligned with how they now make decisions.
Breakdowns across the care journey drive patient disengagement
When patients eventually move into traditional care, they encounter a system that wasn't designed to support them-one that unintentionally stalls progress, disrupts care and increases the likelihood of disengagement. Across markets, this pattern shows up in several ways:
- 68% of patients in Germany report delaying care until they are sick
- 32% of patients in China do not start a prescribed treatment
- 58% of patients in the U.S. stop treatment prematurely
For many patients, getting to a diagnosis is also the challenge: Around four in 10 patients wait more than three months to see a specialist across the U.S. (42%), Germany (40%) and China (37%), and many see multiple healthcare providers before getting answers. In some cases, patients may spend years before receiving a confirmed diagnosis.
ZS estimates earlier diagnosis could lead to better outcomes for patients while unlocking nearly $500 billion in annual direct medical savings in the U.S. alone across major disease areas. The opportunity is clear: Reduce friction and help patients move through care sooner.
Healthcare leaders face a clear choice: Adapt or lose relevance
For healthcare leaders, the challenge now is to keep pace with patients who are taking a more active role in managing their health. Organizations that redesign care around how patients search, decide and navigate care will be better positioned to stay relevant.
The 2026 Future of Health Report introduces tangible ways healthcare leaders reduce the gap between when patients need care and when they receive it, helping to drive "zero distance to the patient." Providers, health plans, medtech companies and pharma manufacturers are already moving beyond fragmented, one-size-fits-all approaches. They are designing how care is delivered across the full patient journey, pinpointing barriers that delay individual patients and using data and AI to anticipate needs and coordinate care in real time.
The report stresses that, for the first time, the industry has both the insight and the tools via AI to align care to how patients actually navigate their health and help it work the way it should.
The 2026 Future of Health Report is the first flagship study published by the ZS Impact Institute, a strategic authority focused on helping executives across industries understand where the future is headed and what bold moves to make now. Through data-driven insights grounded in real-world evidence, the ZS Impact Institute aims to help leaders turn ideas into action that improve life and how we live it.
Read the executive summary and download the full 2026 Future of Health Report.
About the ZS Impact Institute
The ZS Impact Institute delivers data-driven foresight and decision-ready guidance for leaders navigating disruption. By combining proprietary research with real-world experience, the Institute helps executives understand what's changing, why it matters and what to do next, so they can turn ideas into results that improve life and how we live it.
About ZS
ZS is a management consulting and technology firm that partners with companies to improve life and how we live it. We transform ideas into impact by bringing together data, science, technology and human ingenuity to deliver better outcomes for all. Founded in 1983, ZS has more than 15,000 employees in over 40 offices worldwide. To learn more, visit www.zs.com or follow us on LinkedIn.
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