Testing.com data reveals AI is reshaping how Americans approach diagnosis, lab testing, and primary care
BOTHELL, Wash., April 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — One in three U.S. adults say an AI tool identified a health condition their doctor had previously missed or dismissed, and 9 in 10 of those conditions were later confirmed by a healthcare provider, according to a new survey of 1,000 Americans from Testing.com.
The survey, which polled adults who visited a healthcare provider in the past 12 months, found that AI is no longer a curiosity for patients. It is actively changing how they interact with the healthcare system, from challenging their doctors to ordering their own lab work to skipping primary care altogether.
Key Findings
AI is catching what doctors miss, and patients are getting confirmation. 30.3% of Americans say AI identified a condition their doctor missed. Of those, 90.1% say the condition was later confirmed by a healthcare provider. The most commonly caught conditions were vitamin or mineral deficiencies (48.8%), high blood pressure or cholesterol (29.4%), mental health conditions (28.7%), skin conditions (22.4%), and hormone imbalances (21.1%).
Younger Americans are leading the shift. Half of Millennials (50.8%) and nearly half of Gen Z (46.5%) say AI has caught something their doctor missed, compared to 24.4% of Gen X and 8.1% of Boomers. For adults under 35, 64.3% say they have challenged or wanted to challenge their doctor based on AI, compared to 40.3% of those 35 and older.
Patients are ordering lab tests specifically for AI to analyze. 1 in 4 U.S. adults (25.7%) say they order lab tests specifically for AI to analyze. The rate among adults under 35 is 44.3%. Among those who order labs for AI, 80.2% also say AI has caught a condition their doctor missed. The most commonly self-ordered categories include sexual health panels (STD testing, herpes test, chlamydia test), hormone tests, allergy testing, and full blood panel screening.
A growing share of Americans have replaced their primary care doctor with AI. 16.6% of adults say they skip primary care and manage their health through AI, with some relying on AI combined with urgent care or telehealth. The rate for adults under 35 is 26.2%. Among those who skip primary care, nearly 30% estimate they save over $1,000 per year.
Expert Commentary
“AI can be helpful in identifying patterns or suggesting possibilities based on symptoms or data entered. It may flag issues like cholesterol concerns or prompt someone to consider screening for common deficiencies,” says Toni Brayer, M.D., an internal medicine doctor and member of Testing.com’s medical review board. “However, these are suggestions, not diagnoses. More complex conditions, such as hormone imbalances or mental health disorders, require a comprehensive, individualized evaluation.”
Dr. Brayer also expressed concern about the trend of patients dropping primary care: “What concerns me is the loss of continuity. Primary care is not just about treating problems as they arise. It is about knowing the patient over time. There is also a false sense of savings. Skipping primary care may reduce short-term costs, but delayed diagnoses or unmanaged chronic conditions can lead to more expensive care down the line.”
Methodology
In April 2026, Testing.com surveyed 1,000 U.S. adults ages 18 and older who visited a healthcare provider in the past 12 months, using the Pollfish survey platform. Pollfish uses Random Device Engagement to reach respondents through in-app surveys rather than opt-in panels, helping reduce fraud and duplicate responses, broaden sample diversity, and improve response quality. Attention checks and other fraud-detection tools were used to identify invalid responses. The margin of error is approximately ±3 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. Results are based on self-reported responses.
The full report is available at: https://www.testing.com/news/1-in-3-americans-say-ai-diagnosed-a-health-problem-their-doctor-missed/
About Testing.com
Originally launched in 2001 as Lab Tests Online by the Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine (ADLM, formerly AACC), a global scientific organization of more than 70,000 clinical laboratory professionals, Testing.com was acquired by OneCare Media in 2021 and merged with HealthTestingCenters.com, which has provided direct consumer access to laboratory testing through LabCorp and Quest Diagnostics since 1980. Today, Testing.com enables consumers to order lab tests directly, including STD testing options (chlamydia test, herpes test, and gonorrhea test, and complete STD panel), hormone tests, food sensitivity testing, allergy testing, and full blood panel screening, without requiring a doctor’s order. Drawing on more than two decades of clinical laboratory expertise, Testing.com publishes original survey research on how Americans navigate diagnosis, testing, and health decisions. All medical content and research are reviewed by a board-certified physician advisory board.
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SOURCE Testing.com
