Why do I use generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) to seek health information? A perceptual perspective of GenAI users

Abstract

Introduction China’s vigorous advancement of the “Internet Plus Healthcare Services” initiative, as a core component of social security system optimization for improving residents’ health welfare, furnishes a robust impetus for the integration of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) within the healthcare sector, particularly in the domain of health information provision, where GenAI is widely acknowledged to harbor substantial transformative potential. Nevertheless, empirical research specifically probing the modalities through which users adopt GenAI for health information seeking remains limited in extant scholarly literature. Methods This study garnered primary data via a structured online survey and employed partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to dissect the antecedent factors and underlying mechanisms governing users’ health information seeking intention via GenAI, grounded in the perspective of user perceptions. Results PLS-SEM results indicate that user perceptions of GenAI (perceived competence, perceived convenience, and perceived anthropomorphism) positively influence on both user trust in GenAI and subjective norms, which in turn positively affect users ‘health information seeking intention through GenAI. Moreover, digital health literacy significantly moderates the relationship between user perceptions of GenAI and their health information seeking intention. Discussion These findings yield valuable empirical insights for facilitating the optimized and scaled adoption of GenAI in health information services, enhancing the public health output of digital health policies, improving residents’ health welfare, and further alleviating the operational burdens borne by traditional healthcare resources.