AI Use in Healthcare Faces 50-Point Trust Divide Between Users and Non-Users, According to Reach3 Insights and Rival Technologies

First wave of 2026 Digital Health Trends study finds 88% of current users trust AI in healthcare, compared with just 38% of non-users, while overall trust among Americans drops to 44%

CHICAGO and VANCOUVER, BC, Feb. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Just 44% of Americans say they trust the use of AI in healthcare today, down from 52% in 2024, according to new research from Reach3 Insights and Rival Technologies. The findings come from the first wave of 2026 Digital Health Trends, an ongoing research initiative tracking how attitudes toward digital health evolve as new technologies become more embedded in everyday life. Participants were recruited via the Angus Reid panel.

"What stands out in this wave is the size of the trust gap between people who have firsthand experience with AI in healthcare and those who do not," said Christine Nguyen, vice president at Reach3 Insights. "Familiarity plays a meaningful role in shaping confidence. A Voice of Market pulse program for ongoing tracking, like the one we used for this study, is essential to understand both early adopters and those who remain uncertain in an evolving market."

This study reveals three key findings:

• Trust remains divided and below majority levels: Just 44% of Americans say they trust AI in healthcare, down from 52% in the previous wave, while 53% report negative sentiment toward its integration.
  
  
• Hands-on experience drives confidence: Among the 14% who currently use AI for health or wellness, 88% say they trust AI in healthcare and 87% feel positive about its integration, compared with 38% and 41%, respectively, among non-users.
  
  
• Adoption remains limited and uncertainty persists: While 29% say they are interested in using AI for health or wellness in the future, 38% are not interested and 33% remain unsure, signaling a significant trust and value gap.

Consumers report greater comfort using AI for information-seeking and administrative support than for medical decision-making. Current users most often cite answering health questions, translating complex medical language and assessing whether symptoms warrant further care. At the same time, concerns about accuracy, data privacy and the preservation of human-centered care remain prominent.

"The pace of AI innovation in healthcare is accelerating, but consumer confidence develops over time," said Matt Kleinschmit, CEO and Founder of Reach3 Insights. "Trust grows through transparency, education and thoughtful implementation. Bridging the gap between technological advancement and consumer comfort requires sustained dialogue and usage that builds credibility, not just new features. Organizations that strike this right balance will reap the rewards of the future AI-enabled health industry."

The 2026 Digital Health Trends study is Reach3's ongoing initiative tracking consumer attitudes using its proprietary AI-accelerated conversational research approach and the Rival Technologies in-the-moment mobile research platform. This wave includes quantitative, open-ended, and video responses from 1,043 Americans recruited via the Angus Reid panel. Rival's AI Smart Probe follow-ups helped uncover the motivations and concerns shaping trust in AI in healthcare.

Learn more at www.reach3insights.com/digital-health-trends-2026.

About Reach3 Insights
Reach3 Insights is an award-winning, full-service strategic insights consultancy helping leading brands uncover deeper truths and turn human understanding into business impact. Combining industry expertise with AI-driven conversational research methodologies, Reach3 captures the context, emotions and motivations behind consumer behavior for brands like Coca-Cola, Amazon, PayPal and Kellanova. Through agile research design and story-driven activation, Reach3 delivers richer, more authentic insights that inspire confident decisions and measurable growth. Part of Rival Group, Reach3 was recognized as a Top 10 most innovative full-service agency in Greenbook's 2025 GRIT report. Learn more at reach3insights.com.

About Rival Technologies
Rival Technologies is a research technology company redefining how brands understand people. As a pioneer in conversational research, Rival's AI-driven, mobile-first platform transforms traditional surveys into engaging, chat-like experiences that reflect how people communicate today. By blending quant, qual and video in a single conversational flow, Rival helps global brands like Cash App, ŌURA, Carnival Corporation and Warner Bros. Discovery capture richer insights, increase response rates and move from data to confident decisions faster. Part of Rival Group, Rival Technologies was named to the Top 10 Most Innovative Technology Suppliers in Greenbook's 2025 GRIT report. Learn more at rivaltech.com.

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SOURCE Reach3 Insights