The way healthcare professionals (HCPs) find clinical information is changing faster than many in the pharmaceutical industry realise. At Varn Health, we partnered with Beacon AI to survey verified healthcare professionals about their search habits. The findings confirm that AI search is no longer a niche tool for early adopters; it has crossed a critical threshold into the mainstream.
The tipping point is here
Our research reveals that 52% of the HCPs surveyed are already using AI powered search tools, (such as ChatGPT, Gemini, or Perplexity), to assist with their professional work. While adoption is happening across the board, it is being led from the “bottom up” by a younger generation of clinicians. Our data shows that 68% of the HCPs using AI search are under the age of 45.
The visibility gap: Are you ready for GEO?
This shift in behaviour creates a new challenge for pharma brands. Traditional SEO focuses on ranking on page one of Google and those famous “blue links”, however, AI search focuses on summarisation and citation. If your content is not designed and created for this new layer of visibility, (a process you may see many people now referring to as Generative Engine Optimisation or GEO), it is effectively invisible to the 52% of HCPs already relying on AI tools.
To remain discoverable, pharma content must now evolve to be AI readable, source citable, and trustworthy. You can read more about our findings on the adoption of AI search, as well as the uptake of voice and image search amongst HCPs, by downloading the full report: The rise of AI, voice & image search among healthcare professionals.
