How to Respond When a Patient Says 'ChatGPT Told Me This'

In this episode, Dr. Steve Vargo tackles a scenario more and more doctors are running into: a patient sits down and says, "I looked this up on ChatGPT."

How do you respond without sounding defensive—or losing the patient's trust?

Drawing on recent research about AI and patient behavior, Steve unpacks an uncomfortable trend: patients are increasingly rating chatbot answers as more empathetic and trustworthy than their own doctor's. Research out of Penn State found that when AI disagreed with a physician's recommendation, patient confidence dropped—for the doctor, not the AI. Add in a growing share of patients who trust an app on their phone as much as their own provider, and it's clear something is shifting in the exam room.

If you've ever felt your authority questioned by a patient armed with an AI printout, this episode will challenge how you think about that moment—and offer a smarter way to respond that builds trust instead of eroding it.

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