OpenAI has introduced a major upgrade to ChatGPT in the United States, enabling users to securely connect their medical records and health data for more personalised conversations. The new feature, called ChatGPT Health, is designed to help people better understand their health information, prepare for doctor visits and manage their wellbeing using artificial intelligence.
The rollout marks one of OpenAI’s biggest steps into digital healthcare and reflects the growing role of AI in helping people make sense of complex medical information. The feature is currently available to logged-in users in the United States across the Free, Go, Plus and Pro plans on the web and iOS platforms.
With the latest update, users can link health information from Apple Health, participating healthcare providers, One Medical and Function Health directly to ChatGPT. Once connected, the AI assistant can answer questions using information from a user’s own medical records, making responses more relevant and personalised.
For example, users can ask ChatGPT to explain blood test reports, compare new laboratory results with previous ones, summarise medical records, identify trends in sleep or fitness data and help prepare questions before meeting a doctor. Instead of uploading documents every time, the connected records allow ChatGPT to provide context-aware responses based on authorised health information.
According to OpenAI, millions of people already use ChatGPT to ask health-related questions every week. These include understanding medical terminology, interpreting diagnostic reports, learning about medications and seeking guidance before or after healthcare appointments. By integrating personal health records, the company hopes to make those conversations more accurate, useful and easier to follow.
The company says the feature is designed to simplify healthcare information rather than replace medical professionals. Medical records are often spread across multiple hospital portals, laboratories and health apps, making it difficult for patients to keep track of their health history. ChatGPT Health aims to bring that information together in one place, allowing users to better understand changes in their health over time.
Privacy and user control remain central to the new feature. OpenAI said users decide whether to connect their health accounts and can disconnect them whenever they choose. Before ChatGPT accesses medical records during a conversation, it requests permission unless users choose to enable automatic access for connected data.
The company also emphasised that health information receives additional security protections. Connected medical records, Apple Health data and conversations based on this information will not be used to train OpenAI’s AI models or for advertising purposes. These safeguards apply even if a user has opted to share other ChatGPT conversations to improve the company’s AI systems.
OpenAI stressed that ChatGPT Health is not a substitute for doctors, hospitals or emergency medical services. The AI assistant is intended to help users understand information, organise records and prepare informed questions for healthcare providers. Diagnosis, treatment decisions and emergency care should always come from qualified healthcare professionals.
Alongside the new health integration, OpenAI has also upgraded the AI models supporting healthcare conversations. The company said GPT-5.6 Sol, available for paid subscribers, delivers stronger reasoning for complex health-related questions, while GPT-5.5 Instant, available to free users, has improved its ability to explain medical concepts in simple language and recognise situations that may require urgent medical attention.
The launch highlights the increasing use of artificial intelligence in healthcare, a sector where technology companies are investing heavily. AI-powered assistants are being used to summarise medical records, support administrative tasks, improve patient engagement and help individuals better understand their own health information. However, experts continue to stress that AI should complement healthcare professionals rather than replace them.
Industry observers believe OpenAI’s latest move could encourage wider adoption of AI-powered health assistants, especially as patients seek easier ways to access and understand their personal medical information. The ability to securely connect health records could also improve continuity of care by helping users track changes in their health across different providers and over longer periods.
As of now, the feature is available only in the United States, with no timeline announced for expansion to other countries. Even so, the rollout signals OpenAI’s ambition to make ChatGPT more useful in everyday life beyond writing, coding and research.
As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly integrated into healthcare, OpenAI’s latest update positions ChatGPT Health as a personalised digital health companion. By combining AI with securely connected medical records while maintaining strong privacy safeguards, the company aims to help users make more informed health decisions and better understand their medical information, always alongside guidance from qualified healthcare professionals.
