The trend: Consumers navigate a vast digital landscape to find health information, but search engines, social media, and connected TV (CTV) now dominate the health-related decision-making process.

Editor’s note: This article pulls information from our just-published “The Healthcare Consumer 2026” report. Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from EMARKETER’s January 2026 Digital Health Survey of 2,138 US consumers who seek health information online.

Unpacking the trend: Most consumers still rely on doctors for medical guidance, but increasingly use search and social media for health information, while CTV is rising as a key ad channel.

Search engines remain the primary digital entry point to healthcare:

• 84% of consumers use search engines for health answers—by far the No. 1 online channel.