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Gen Z (those born between 1997 and 2012) may have a rep as “digital natives,” but when it comes to searching out medical information, they have a surprisingly high level of skepticism about the quality of what they find online.
According to “Gen Z: Calling for Healthcare Connection and Change,” a new study from Burson, nearly eight out of 10 (79 percent) of the 5,000 Gen Z adults surveyed reported that they have encountered false or misleading health information online. Social media is the biggest online offender, with 61 percent of respondents saying that they have found questionable health info on social media platforms.
That hesitancy about the digital world extends to Gen Z’s take on the healthcare experience itself. While more than a quarter of respondents (27 percent) have used telehealth services such as telephone consults and online video appointment over the past year, a considerable amount of them found some snags in the telehealth process.
Among the problems cited are the lack of a personal touch (44 percent), limitation in physical examination capabilities (43 percent) and basic technical issues like glitches and poor internet connections (42 percent).
In addition, about seven in 10 Gen Zers (69 percent) said it’s important that they feel like an individual and not “just a number” to providers. Almost as many (64 percent) say that prioritizing in-person visits over virtual one helps them to feel respected by healthcare provders.
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The survey respondents were also to open receiving health information from pharmaceutical companies. More than half (55 percent) said that “pharmaceutical companies can meet needs of people in my age group.” However, slightly fewer (51 percent) think that pharma communicates well with Gen Z, and an even smaller number (43 percent) say “pharmaceutical companies care about people like me.”
Burson’s study also finds that the perceived obsession with mental health amongst Gan Zers may be exaggerated. While 57 percent of respondents noted that they were concerned with mental health, almost an equal number (56 percent) noted concerns surrounding physical health as well.
The study made use of Burson’s new Decipher Health tool, which combines two cognitive AI models to predict responses to survey questions by forecasting their potential for impact. Burson says that Decipher Health AI forecasts reinforced the findings of its traditionally conducted Gen Z survey, especially with regard to the key issues affecting respondents.
The 5,000 Gen Zers who responded to Burson’s 16-question online survey conducted in September 2024 were from the US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, China, India, the UK, France, Germany and Spain.
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