Embargoed for release until 5:00 p.m. ET on Monday 27 July 2026
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Below please find summaries of new articles that will be published in the next issue of Annals of Internal Medicine . The summaries are not intended to substitute for the full articles as a source of information. This information is under strict embargo and by taking it into possession, media representatives are committing to the terms of the embargo not only on their own behalf, but also on behalf of the organization they represent.
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Critical care doctor says patients’ reliance on chatbots reflects deeper problems in health care
Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-26-01819
URL goes live when the embargo lifts
In a new commentary published in Annals of Internal Medicine , Robert B. Shpiner, MD, a clinical professor of pulmonary and critical care at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, argues that the growing use of artificial intelligence chatbots for health information reflects both health system strain and a broader shift in how patients seek information. Recent data shows 32% of U.S. adults used AI for health information or advice in the past year, citing the lack of timely appointments, a regular physician, affordable care, or confidence that the health care system will respond effectively as reasons they turned to AI for health advice. Dr. Shpiner acknowledges the safety concerns of using AI for health advice but says that simply warning patients about the risks associated with AI misses the deeper issue. Patients often choose chatbots because they are instantly available, and shortcomings of the health care system like billing issues, prior authorization, and difficult portal communication are increasingly pushing patients towards chatbot use. Dr. Shpiner says that policy and governance surrounding AI use in health care will not mitigate AI risks unless structural health care issues that lead patients to turn to AI are also addressed.
Media contacts: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Gabby Macrina at gmacrina@acponline.org. To contact corresponding author Robert B. Shpiner, MD please email rshpiner@mednet.ucla.edu.
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Also in this issue:
International Medical Graduates in America: Navigating a Winding History of Immigration Laws and Licensure Requirements
Humayun J. Chaudhry, DO, MS; David A. Johnson, MA; and George M. Abraham, MD, MPH
History of Medicine
Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-26-01555
Rethinking the Global Transition to LED Lighting: Balancing Energy Efficiency With Human Physiology
Dong-wouk Park, MD; and Kevin L. Winthrop, MD, MPH
Ideas and Opinions
Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-26-01717
Annals of Internal Medicine
News article
People
Why Patients Ask the Chatbot First
28-Jul-2026