AI, Attention and Authenticity

Reimagining Consumer Health Communications

It’s no question that engaging consumers along their personal health journeys – whether a chronic condition, unexpected diagnosis or a day-to-day health concern – is an ever-evolving balancing act. Communications need to be clear without oversimplifying and be timely and accurate without overwhelming the patient.

A convergence of forces persistently makes it difficult to reach and connect with consumers about health:

1. AI-driven content floods. Although GenAI platforms make it easier to create (or discover) health-related content, responses are not always accurate or complete.
2. Misinformation and disinformation. Health misinformation spreads quickly and authoritative voices are not always valued for their expertise. False or misleading claims are undermining public confidence in science-backed communication – regardless of how accessible or technical it is.
3. Eroding attention and trust. People scroll faster, skim more and question authority frequently. Most consumers aren’t reading cover-to-cover; they’re looking for fast, relatable content and are skeptical of who might be “selling” something.

A blend of credible, relevant and compelling content is more important than ever for personal health communications, meeting people where they are and making connections in an increasingly noisy environment.

How can we use AI to improve consumer health communication?

• Content efficiency: AI can help brainstorm topics, create first drafts or personalize outreach, but health communication needs human expertise and lived experiences to be authentic and relatable.
• Audience listening: AI-powered analytics can monitor online conversations to detect emerging misinformation trends and identify topics that consumers are really interested in understanding.
• Trust building: Transparency helps maintain credibility. For example, clearly stating that a health resource “was developed with AI assistance and reviewed by medical experts.”

How can we build trust with consumers faced with rising health misinformation?

Identifying sources and experts whom patients trust is a huge part of navigating personal health concerns – whether seeking to understand symptoms or looking for validation from others with the same diagnosis. Trust-building health communication strategies will show up differently, depending on the medical condition or patient population, but some things will always remain true:

• Lead with empathy: Consumers want help understanding how their health decisions affect their lives and families. To truly connect, messaging must acknowledge people’s health concerns and fears. Create relatable science-based content that honors their experiences.
• Elevate credible messengers: Research shows people trust local doctors, community leaders and peers more than institutions. Long-term partnerships with those influential voices across channels and platforms are more important than ever.

How can we connect with consumers as attention spans shrink?

Attention spans may be shorter, but consumer curiosity is still strong and there’s room to grow engagement and awareness through:

• Micro-content: Regardless of channel or content format, tackle one health-related question at a time.
• Layered storytelling: Create content lengths that cater to both the casual scroller and the deep researcher.
• Plain language: Lead with clarity and leave out the jargon.

After applying these health communications approaches, measure your campaign effectiveness through benchmarks, quality engagement and trust indicators. For example:

• Message recall: Are people remembering the core points?
• Sentiment analysis: Are conversations positive, neutral or negative?
• Behavioral impact: Are more people following through with the call to action?

With each health industry headwind comes new opportunities for communicators to build nimble, adaptive and responsive strategies that leverage new technology, capture consumer attention and build trust and connections. Looking ahead to 2026, we’re anticipating greater personalization, an increase of hybrid (human and AI) communication, and more influence from small, personal networks (local doctors, patient advocates or peer communities).