ChatGPT Health has recently launched in the US. NATALIE ESCOBAR dives into this latest innovation and what it means for people with diabetes.  

First launched in November 2022 by OpenAI, ChatGPT has since become the top AI platform, with a reported 800 million weekly active users worldwide as of late 2025.  

AI’s presence in Australia is also rising, with a national survey showing close to half of Australians have used a generative AI tool in the past year, with ChatGPT being the most recognised and named platform.  

Three years later, OpenAI is shaking things up again with ChatGPT Health.  

What is ChatGPT Health?  

Health-related questions are among the most common reasons people use ChatGPT, with OpenAI reporting that over 230 million people globally ask the chatbot health and wellness questions every week.  

Riding the wave of ChatGPT’s worldwide popularity, OpenAI has introduced ChatGPT Health, billed as a “dedicated experience that securely brings your health information and ChatGPT’s intelligence together to help you feel more informed, prepared and confident navigating your health.”    

In collaboration with more than 200 physicians across 60 countries, the new feature connects medical records and data from wellness apps such as MyFitnessPal, Apple Health and Function to help you better understand test results and prepare for doctor appointments.  

OpenAI says ChatGPT Health will be a separate part of the AI platform. Health conversations, files and connected apps will be kept separate from users’ other chats and saved information. ChatGPT will also recognise when you start a health-related conversation and suggest moving it to the health feature for additional protections.  

How can ChatGPT Health help people living with diabetes?  

It’s easy to feel lost in appointments when medical terms aren’t explained and, with the average GP visit lasting just 18.7 minutes in Australia, doctors rarely have time to explain each term. While ChatGPT Health is not a substitute for professional care, it can help you prepare for an appointment, suggest the right questions to ask and get the most out of your time.  

For people with diabetes, ChatGPT Health can also be a quick source of general information on blood glucose patterns, food choices, medication side effects and tech such as CGMs or insulin pumps, along with explaining complex terms like HbA1c or insulin resistance in simple terms.   

With rising out-of-pocket costs and long wait times to see specialists such as endocrinologists, learning more about diabetes technology, general nutrition and exercise at home can be useful. Some people even use it as their very own personal trainer, with the chatbot crafting workouts tailored just for you.  

Healthcare and the language barrier 

Australia’s diversity shines through languages, with more than 5.6 million people speaking a language other than English at home, according to the 2021 census. ChatGPT Health can help overcome language gaps and make medical explanations clearer for anyone who prefers to communicate in their first language. The AI bot can translate complex medical terms or instructions into simpler English or other languages. 

Are there concerns about using ChatGPT Health? 

While ChatGPT Health might make the healthcare system easier to navigate, it is important to remember that it is still early in development and AI programs are known for making mistakes. In particular, AI is known for “hallucinating” (imagining false things are real) and missing out important information that might affect your decision making.  

This missing information might include the side effects of medications, dangerous medication interactions and risks with supplements or certain diets.  

While ChatGPT Health could be useful for general health information, it may be hard to identify what counts as general information and what is more specific and individualised. Given that ChatGPT doesn’t have your complete medical record, it might give incorrect advice.  

In addition, there have been no published, peer-reviewed studies on the use of ChatGPT Health for accurate health advice and what the reasonable parameters are for this technology in the health space.  

While it was created in conjunction with medical professionals, the development of the model is not fully disclosed, again casting doubt on its reliability. With that in mind, caution is required when engaging with this technology and always discuss any changes to your management plans – be that medication, diet, exercise or otherwise – with your health team. 

How is my health data protected in ChatGPT Health?  

Since it’s yet to officially launch in Australia, it’s currently unknown whether ChatGPT Health will meet Australia’s data privacy and security standards. This includes where the data is stored (for example, your previous conversations in the ChatGPT platform are saved each time you log in, this data is stored overseas (US or Europe). Australian organisations are required to store health data within Australia. However, OpenAI says the new feature is designed to protect your personal health information by operating “as a separate space with enhanced privacy to protect sensitive data.”  

All conversations and files in ChatGPT are encrypted when stored and during transmission. Since health information is especially sensitive, ChatGPT Health will take further security measures, such as specialised encryption and data separation, to ensure health conversations remain private. The company states that health conversations are not used to train ChatGPT’s main AI models and encourages users to enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) for further protection.  

However, ChatGPT might use information from your other chats, like changes in your daily habits, to make health conversations more helpful. Despite this, ChatGPT Health keeps its own memory and data separate, and you can choose whether your past chat history is used by changing your memory and personal settings in ChatGPT.  

How can I access ChatGPT Health?  

Right now, ChatGPT Health is only available to a select group of Free, Go, Plus, and Pro users, but OpenAI plans to open the doors to everyone soon as they fine-tune the feature. For now, medical record connections and certain apps are only available in the US.  

There are many other free ways to get health and wellness information, which you can use along with or instead of AI tools. 

These are all based in Australia, so you know your information is secure. 

• Call the Diabetes WA Helpline on 1300 001 880 to speak with a diabetes educator on all topics related to diabetes, from Mon-Fri 8.30am-4.30pm. Translation services are also available – visit our Helpline page for details.

• Call Health Direct on 1800 022 222 to speak with a nurse if you are concerned about symptoms or whether you should seek medical attention, available 24 hours. 

• Talk to your community pharmacist (who is often available at night and on weekends) about medications, health conditions and advice on whether something warrants visiting a doctor.