76% of Gen Z Turn to AI Before a Doctor: 2026 Aflac Survey
Seventy-six percent of Gen Z and 63% of millennials now turn to AI tools for health support before seeking professional medical care, according to Aflac’s 2026 Wellness Matters…
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Patients Choose the Hospital Brand First: 53% Pick a System Before a Doctor
When patients face a new health issue, a majority now choose the hospital or system first: 53% select a hospital first or pick a hospital and physician simultaneously,…
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Commure Targets the 35–50% of Referrals That Never Convert
Between 35% and 50% of medical referrals never result in a completed specialist appointment, and those that do take 31 days on average — a gap Commure’s new…
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Why Penn Medicine Is Deploying AI Agents for Patient Intake
Penn Medicine is integrating K Health’s AI-powered patient intake agents into its virtual primary care service, testing whether an AI ‘team member’ in the patient-provider relationship improves outcomes….
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Orlando Health Unifies Pediatric Care Under a Single Brand
Orlando Health consolidated its pediatric services under a single umbrella brand, Orlando Health Children’s, effective July 1, 2026, replacing a fragmented set of hospital- and building-specific names. The…
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Fullspan Health Launches Healthline AI Companion for Verified Health Answers
Healthline AI is a conversational AI agent launched by Fullspan Health in June 2026, designed to connect consumers to medically reviewed health information and provider recommendations. Unlike general-purpose…
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The Shadow Healthcare System: Patients Are Building Parallel Care Infrastructure
Patients have built a parallel healthcare infrastructure—virtual clinics, diagnostic tools, direct-pay platforms, and consumer health apps—driven by fragmented care experiences, opaque pricing, and limited specialist access. This “shadow…
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The Broken Pipeline of Mental Healthcare for LGBTQ Teenagers
Access to affirming mental healthcare for LGBTQ youth dropped from 80% to 60% between late 2023 and late 2024, and in 2025, 44% of LGBTQ youth who wanted…
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What Healthcare Can Learn from Retail: Building Demand Beyond Bottom Funnel
Healthcare marketers over-index on bottom-funnel patient acquisition, competing for a narrow slice of already-in-market demand. This Cardinal Digital Marketing podcast episode features Ben Dutter, Chief Strategy Officer at…
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The 90% Problem: Why Specialty Practices Over-Invest in Bottom-Funnel Paid Search
Specialty healthcare practices typically allocate 90% of paid media spend to high-intent, bottom-of-funnel searches — terms like “knee surgeon near me” or “carpal tunnel specialist” — where 10…