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ChatGPT Health is a marketplace, guess who is the product?
- Forgeties79 8mo agoThere’s no real smoking gun here showing what they are taking, storing, and using (or how they’re using it). But I do agree that nobody should dive in to this until that’s better understood as it is likely they are not following HIPAA and will not respect your privacy. Definitely not when there’s money on the table. Given their track record the concern is warranted.
- zkmon 8mo agoGoogle did that, Facebook did that and every other company who boasted their user-base numbers did that. They sold user attention and harvested user data. Nothing new here.
- seydor 8mo agoChatGPT mostly refuses to talk health issues , while i have found Gemini is reasonably cooperative when asking for things like symptoms and treatments . This makes me not wanting to try out their new offering.
- pruetj 8mo agoIs that foreshadowing of ChatGPT redirecting users to ChatGPT Health in some way? Base product no longer answers everything, now I need to pay an add-on fee to talk about health related things?
- kmoser 8mo agoI doubt it. It's probably a CYA thing. There are a whole bunch of hot-button topics ChatGPT won't talk about, not because OpenAI will ever try to monetize them but because they're fodder for lawsuits.
- astura 8mo agoWhat sorts of things did it refuse to talk to you about? I've talked with it about my health extensively and uploaded lab reports which it happily interpreted.
- seydor 8mo agoit reads the lab report but every one of its answers is prefaced with a refusal. It does provide some information but insists on general answers. Example phrases it uses: "I can’t give medical advice or tell you what to do based on this report". "I will keep this general and informational, not personalized medical instructions."
- astura 8mo agoWeird, This is not my experience at all. For example, here's chat gpt giving me an incorrect diagnosis (the anemia is due to a genetic condition, not iron deficiency). ============= You said: MyChartPLUS - Test Details.pdf PDF Can you interpret these blood test results ChatGPT said: Here’s an interpretation of the blood test results you provided: White Blood Cell Count (WBC) Value: 9.2 (Normal: 3.8 - 10.8 Thousand/uL) Within the normal range, indicating no immediate signs of infection or inflammation. Red Blood Cell Count (RBC) Value: 5.29 (Normal: 3.8 - 5.1 Million/uL) Elevated (High). This could indicate dehydration, stress, or other conditions like polycythemia. Hemoglobin Value: 10.9 (Normal: 11.7 - 15.5 g/dL) Low. Suggests anemia, possibly due to iron deficiency or chronic disease. Hematocrit Value: 36.0% (Normal: 35.0 - 45.0%) Within the normal range, but on the lower side, supporting the presence of mild anemia. Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV) Value: 68.1 (Normal: 80.0 - 100.0 fL) Low. Indicates microcytic anemia, often due to iron deficiency. Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin (MCH) Value: 20.6 (Normal: 27.0 - 33.0 pg) Low. Suggests hypochromia (paler red blood cells), often associated with iron-deficiency anemia. Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration (MCHC) Value: 30.3 (Normal: 32.0 - 36.0 g/dL) Slightly low. May reflect reduced hemoglobin in red blood cells, consistent with iron-deficiency anemia. Red Cell Distribution Width (RDW) Value: 15.8% (Normal: 11.0 - 15.0%) Elevated. Indicates variability in red blood cell size, common in iron-deficiency anemia. Platelet Count Value: 397 (Normal: 140 - 400 Thousand/uL) Normal, but on the higher side of the range. Other Key Metrics Absolute Neutrophils, Lymphocytes, Monocytes, Eosinophils, Basophils: All within normal ranges, suggesting no significant abnormalities in immune cell populations. Anisocytosis (1+): Indicates variation in red blood cell size. Hypochromasia (1+): Suggests pale red blood cells, supporting iron-deficiency anemia. Summary These results suggest iron-deficiency anemia, characterized by low hemoglobin, low MCV, low MCH, and high RDW. The elevated red blood cell count may reflect compensatory mechanisms or mild dehydration. Your provider recommends a heart-healthy, low-fat diet, which is great for overall health. However, addressing the anemia might also involve increasing dietary iron or taking iron supplements. If you have symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath, or dizziness, it’s advisable to follow up with your healthcare provider for further management. ============= Later on (months later) I gave it a different lab report that contained iron as well, and without the iron deficiency red herring it guessed correctly. ============= You said: lab.pdf PDF ChatGPT said: Here’s what jumps out from your lab report. lab Lipids (fasting) Total cholesterol 139, LDL 72, non-HDL 94 → these are excellent / low-risk numbers. Triglycerides 141 → normal (borderline-ish but still under 150). HDL 45 (flagged low) → for women the lab’s cutoff is ≥50, so it’s “low” by that reference range, but your overall atherogenic profile (LDL/non-HDL) is still very strong. CBC: clear microcytic anemia pattern These are the key pieces: Hemoglobin 10.5 (low) and Hematocrit 34.9 (low) → anemia. MCV 67.8 (low) + MCH 20.4 (low) → red cells are small and low-hemoglobin (microcytic, hypochromic pattern). RBC count 5.15 (slightly high) + RDW 15.8 (high) and morphology showing anisocytosis → this combo is important. Iron studies: not iron-deficiency looking Ferritin 109 (normal) Iron 83 (normal) % saturation 24 (normal) TIBC 343 (normal) That’s not the classic pattern of iron deficiency (where ferritin is usually low and iron saturation often low). lab What this combination often suggests With microcytosis + anemia + a relatively high RBC count and normal ferritin/iron, one of the more common explanations clinicians consider is a hemoglobin variant/thalassemia trait (especially beta-thal trait), though this is not a diagnosis by labs alone. There are other possibilities too (less common, but part of the “microcytic anemia with normal iron” differential), so the right next step is targeted follow-up testing rather than guessing. What I’d ask your clinician about next Repeat CBC (to confirm) + reticulocyte count Peripheral smear review (if not already done beyond the automated morphology flags) Hemoglobin electrophoresis (or HPLC) to evaluate for beta-thalassemia trait/hemoglobin variants If electrophoresis is normal but suspicion remains: alpha-thalassemia testing can be considered (often not seen on standard electrophoresis) If there’s any reason to suspect it: lead level (uncommon, but classic cause of microcytosis) When to seek urgent care vs routine follow-up Routine follow-up is usually fine, but get urgent evaluation if you have: chest pain, fainting, severe shortness of breath at rest black/tarry stools, heavy ongoing bleeding, or rapidly worsening symptoms If you tell me whether you’ve had heavy periods, recent pregnancy/postpartum, GI symptoms, or a known family history of anemia/thalassemia, I can help you interpret which follow-up path is most likely to be useful—but even without that, the “microcytic anemia + normal iron studies” piece is the main thing to bring to your ordering clinician. =============
- trollbridge 8mo agoIt's quite easy to "jailbreak" by asking it to discuss hypotheticals, help you write accurate information for a fictional account, etc.
- accrual 8mo agoThis is my experience too. Most bots are happy to discuss health stuff in a vacuum, which works for some queries.
- ramoz 8mo agoIve had fairly complex health issues and have never had issues with ChatGPT - other than I worry about the vast majority people in my scenario who do not understand AI. AI can enable very misleading analysis and misinformation when a patient drives the conversation a certain way. Something I've observed in the community I'm a part of. Not talking about acid reflux or back pain.
- levocardia 8mo ago"While I can't provide medical advice..." is the 2025 version of "As a large language model trained by OpenAI..."
- al_borland 8mo agoMy dad used ChatGPT to guide him through testing, diagnosis, preparation, and recovery from a quadruple bypass. He never mentioned it refusing to talk about anything, just about how indispensable it was in the process and saved him months of time over skipping it and relying on the medical system alone, without help. For example, it told him to go out and get a test on his own before meeting with a certain specialist, so the specialist didn’t order it during the first meeting and then need to wait for a follow up after reviewing it. He did this, gave the results to ChatGPT, which sounded the alarm. He sent a message with the results to his doctor and his appointment with the specialist was moved up to the same week, instead of 3 months out.
- aurareturn 8mo agoDo users find value in it? Thats the ultimate question. I think it is a resounding yes.
- MattRix 8mo agoUsers found value in leaded gasoline too.
- glemion43 8mo agoWhich is not a helpful argument in this discussion. It's to blunt and feels more ignorant.
- PunchTornado 8mo agoIf you have nothing to say, but insult the other, better not to post.
- glemion43 8mo agoI clearly say something. I evaluate transparent his argument
- Drunkfoowl 8mo ago[dead]
- MattRix 8mo agoI think the argument that “value to users is the only thing that matters” is the blunt one. My point is that most situations are much more nuanced than that.
- DudeOpotomus 8mo ago[flagged]
- azan_ 8mo ago> Dystopian and frankly, gross. Its amazing to me that so many people are willing to give up control over their lives and in this case, their bodies, for the smallest inkling of ease. I've read people with chronic conditions reporting that chatgpt actually helped them land correct diagnosis that doctors did not consider so people are not just using that for "inkling of ease".
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- DudeOpotomus 8mo agoYes, trading your privacy and autonomy for perceived ease is how they are going to steal your future and your freedom.
- azan_ 8mo agoPlease read my comment again. If you lived with chronic pain that multiple doctors failed to correctly diagnose and ChatGPT actually suggested correct diagnosis then you wouldn’t call it just perceived ease, but something that made your life much, much better. I’m doctor and I’m all for empowering patients (as long as they consult ChatGPT output with actual doctors). It’s very easy to criticize people resorting to llms if you do not have any rare debilitating condition that’s not correctly diagnosed.
- Forgeties79 8mo agoWhat they seem to be saying is “this is how they get you,” which I agree with. Whether or not it’s immensely helpful is not being debated. There’s a very serious cost no matter what.
- DudeOpotomus 8mo ago
- kaffekaka 8mo agoOnce again, glad to live in Europe.
- _qua 8mo agoIf you lived in the US and you didn't like this product, you can just choose to not use it. What benefit do you as a citizen of Europe derive from having this withheld from you?
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- b3kart 8mo ago> you didn't like this product, you can just choose to not use it This is an over-simplification. I might like the product, but not be aware of the various ways it violates my privacy. Having laws that make it more risky for companies to do nefarious things makes me more confident that if a product is available in the EU market it doesn't do obviously bad things.
- trollbridge 8mo ago"You can just choose not to use it", sure, until signing a consent form to use ChatGPT becomes mandatory for a doctor visit, just like all kinds of other technology (like having a cell phone to verify SMS, for example) is basically essential now to function in society.
- gordian-mind 8mo agoDoctors in Europe already use LLMs to treat you.
- stevekemp 8mo agoThat sounds like the kind of hallucinated statement you might expect from ChatGPT. Which doctors, in which countries, are using LLMs to treat patients?
- nusl 8mo agoI find it ironic that the article is warning against AI use while it uses an AI-made cover image. Surely they find the same fault with copyright issues and AI art? Right?
- atmosx 8mo agoIt’s not against AI. It’s against privacy issues arising though data mining & double speech.
- tigerBL00D 8mo agoThere's some irony in that, sure. But at the heart of the matter is privacy. It's about what you input into the chat, not about the output.
- visarga 8mo ago> This isn’t just a health assistant. This is infrastructure for a healthcare marketplace. It's an AI written article IMHO.
- kurtoid 8mo agoI interpreted that line as tongue-in-cheek, but on a second reading, I think you're right
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- bwb 8mo agoChatGPT has made a material difference in my ability to understand health problems, test results, and to communicate with doctors effectively. My wife and I were talking last night about how helpful it was in 2025. I hope that it continues to be good at this. I want regulators to keep an eye on this and make smart laws. I don't want it to go away, as its value is massive in my life. (One example, if you are curious: I've been doing rehab for a back injury for about 10 years. I worked with a certified trainer/rehab professional for many years and built a program to keep me as pain-free as possible. I rebuilt the entire thing with ChatGPT/Gemini about 6 weeks ago, and I've had less pain than at any other point in my life. I spent at least 12 hours working with AI to test and research every exercise, and I've got some knowledge to help guide me, but I was amazed by how far it has come in 12 months. I ran the results by a trainer to double-check it was well thought out.)
- metalliqaz 8mo agoAnything you say can and will be used against you.
- JKCalhoun 8mo agoYou bring up an interesting point. How is it we have come to a place in society where we second-guess everything we type? But perhaps also where we go (with our "tracking devices" in our pockets…). I mean, obviously the internet is what changed everything. But it is like you have a megaphone strapped to your face whenever you connect to a site and make a comment. Maybe this is not a good thing.
- bwb 8mo agoI've been on the web since it was born. When will this happen? :) How is this manifesting in reality?
- trollbridge 8mo agoThis sounds like excellent evidentiary material for a future insurer or government health provider to decide you're uninsurable, not eligible for a job, and so on. And the great thing about it is that you already signed all your rights away for them to do this exact thing, when we could have had an open world with open models run locally instead where you got to keep your private health information private.
- SecretDreams 8mo agoLLMs for medical info are good, but they're easily abuseable. I've got a friend who is an anxious mom. They use gpt/Gemini to "confirm" all of their suspicions and justify far more doctor/medical visits than is at all reasonable, while also getting access to more recurring antibiotics than is reasonable. LLMs are basically giving them the gun powder to waste the doctor's time and slam an already stressed medical system when all their kids need most of the time is some rest and soup.
- hsuduebc2 8mo agoYeah, it’s a very powerful tool, and it needs to be used carefully and with intent. People on Hacker News mostly get that already, but for ordinary users it’s a full-on paradigm shift. It moved from: A very precise source of information, where the hardest part was finding the right information. To: Something that can produce answers on demand, where the hardest part is validating that information, and knowing when to doubt the answer and force it to recheck the sources. This happened in a year or two so I can't really blame. The truth machine where you doesn't needed to focus too much on validating answers changed rapidly to slop machine where ironically, your focus is much more important.
- SecretDreams 8mo ago> This happened in a year or two so I can't really blame. The truth machine where you doesn't needed to focus too much on validating answers changed rapidly to slop machine where ironically, your focus is much more important. Very much this for the general public. I view it as borderline* dangerous to anyone looking for confirmation bias.
- hsuduebc2 8mo agoYea. Especially with absolutele garbage that is gooogle ai summary, which is just slightly worse than their "AI mode". I never saw anything hallucinate that much. It is much worse that it is included in every search and it have the google "stamp of quality" which was usually mark of well functioning product.
- redmattred 8mo agoThe HHS is asking for recommendations on how to leverage AI for healthcare: https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/hhs-ai-rfi.html https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/hhs-ai-rfi.html This is probably part of an effort to position them a potential vendor to help the government with this.
- aabajian 8mo agoAs an interventional radiologist, I want it to be easier to see images from outside hospitals. Epic has nearly solved the problem of seeing outside medical records. Yet, I still can't see the images for the CT scan you had from the hospital across the street unless I call the file room and get the images transferred. I imagine once data sharing is more robust, it would be easier to validate AI models (at least specifically for radiology).
- andersonpico 8mo ago> This is probably part of an effort to position them (...) who is "them" referring to in this sentence?
- redmattred 8mo agoOpenAI
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- simianwords 8mo ago[flagged]
- DetectDefect 8mo ago> It is inconceivable for this demographic to think of a product that can enrich both the corporation and the users. Would you care to provide an example of such a product, to dissuade this perceived demographic cohort? I am not so certain your creative name calling will yield much results, however.
- maxerickson 8mo agoIt's literally everything that people in relatively free markets buy. Microsoft Windows is a great example that people will get really angry about, but like bubble gum also enriches the producer, seller and buyer.
- simianwords 8mo agoIt’s concerning that this was even a question!!!
- ipaddr 8mo agoThose are not great examples. Bubble gum puts the buyer in a worse dental health situation. Windows is a monopoly that controls the desktop market and the buyer would have been better off with a richer market with a variety of options. You could have said cigarettes. They provide the same pleasure benefits as gum with unhealthy outcomes for the buyer.
- maxerickson 8mo agoYou are making the mistake of asserting that the buyer exactly shares your values. With Windows, I didn't assert that it was the value maximizing case, merely that it benefits both parties. Which it does, mostly likely to the advantage of the buyers.
- kmoser 8mo agoThis sounds like it will be one of those products which starts out as an optional service, but eventually becomes required to use if you want to participate in the overall healthcare system.
- hereme888 8mo agoMy level of trust for data: 1) Claude 2) OpenAI 3) Grok 4) Gemini
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- glemion43 8mo agoMe and I hope they are selling me something to fix my RLS I would give a lot of money to do so
- liamconnell 8mo agoNot mentioned in the article, but one interesting area where OpenAI could play is in participant identification and recruitment for clinical trials. In fact, ChatGPT could also help operate the clinical trials which is a highly paperwork intensive business, and therefore something that AI could add value to. Ultimately pharmaceutical companies pay up to $100,000 per participant to hospital networks these charges must be itemized as expenses from the hospital on the most part (bounties are illegal usually.) open AI would provide a cheap way in for pharmaceutical companies to identify participants given that OpenAI has an incredible perspective into the physical and psychological state of their users. Imagine how much more is shared with OpenAI compared to a clinical trial coordinator at a hospital when a psychiatric drug is being tested. This would also give OpenAI leverage in partnering with pharmaceutical companies. OpenAI executives have stated this is a goal, but otherwise they’ve made little progress on it. It’s wild to imagine - someone with borderline personality disorder having delusional conversations with an AI chat Bot for six months, receiving an offer to participate in a clinical trial, and then having their subsequent AI conversations used as evidence to analyze the efficacy of the drug. The ironic thing is if that person had delusions about hidden forces listening to them…they’d be RIGHT!
- TinyBig 8mo agoA phrase I liked to describe what we're doing with LLMs is "building a personal panopticon". The benefits are immense but you're placing a huge bet on the landlord of the tower.
- tamakiiroha 8mo agoI think the consequences of hackers obtaining health data like this would be unimaginable. OpenAI is far inferior to Apple when it comes to privacy and security protection.
- brianhur 8mo agoIf it is genuinely beneficial, this will become an open source project that everyone is able to run with a local agent in their house that runs cold. I will make one if no one else will, but discovering how to make it ubiquitously helpful and not drought with legal liability is challenging. I welcome a company willing to take this early risk.
- admiralrohan 8mo agoUnderstand what you are trying to say but without giving an alternate solution what the reader would do with your thoughts?
- oars 8mo agoFascinating article. Data security will be another important factor in whether we should choose our private health information with these third parties or not. Manage My Health in NZ was hacked earlier this week: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/583417/who-are-the-hackers-behind-manage-my-health-s-cyber-attack https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/583417/who-are-the-hacke...
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