Perplexity Launches AI-Powered Personalised Healthcare Search

Perplexity, the AI-powered answer engine, has made a bold entry into the healthcare space. The company launched Perplexity Health, a platform that connects personal health data directly to its AI search engine. Additionally, it announced the formation of a Health Advisory Board composed of leading physicians, researchers, and health technology experts. Together, these moves signal Perplexity’s serious ambition in digital health.

What Is Perplexity Health?

A Centralised Dashboard for Fragmented Health Data

Most people’s health data is scattered. Lab results sit in one portal, prescriptions in another, and fitness metrics are buried inside separate apps. Perplexity Health addresses this fragmentation problem head-on.

The platform brings all this information into one place. At launch, it connects with Apple Health, electronic health records from over 1.7 million care providers, and wearable platforms such as Fitbit, Ultrahuman, and Withings. Support for Oura and Function is coming soon.

Furthermore, Perplexity partnered with b.well Connected Health, a national health data network spanning over 2.4 million provider connections and more than 350 health plans and labs. This integration allows AI responses to draw from a user’s actual medical history — not generic web results.

How Personalised Health Search Works

AI Agents Working in the Background

Perplexity Health runs on Perplexity Computer, the company’s AI agent orchestrator. When a user asks a health question, the system cross-references data from activity trackers, lab reports, and medical history to deliver a detailed, personalised response.

For instance, a question about resting heart rate can factor in recent physical activity, cardiac history, and the latest bloodwork — all at once. This level of context is simply not possible with traditional search engines.

Evidence-Based Answers with Citations

Critically, Perplexity Health draws answers from premium medical literature — including clinical guidelines and peer-reviewed journals. Every response includes citations linked directly to source material. This approach moves away from SEO-optimised content that currently dominates health search results online.

Practical Use Cases

Users can take advantage of Perplexity Health in several meaningful ways:

• Build a custom marathon training protocol using personal fitness data
• Generate a pre-appointment summary for a doctor’s visit
• Create a personalised nutrition plan based on lab results
• Identify the right medical care provider for their specific needs

Perplexity Health on Computer rolls out first to Pro and Max users in the US, with additional cohorts and geographies to follow.

The Perplexity Health Advisory Board

Expert Oversight at the Core

To ensure clinical rigour, Perplexity established the Perplexity Health Advisory Board — a group of practicing physicians, researchers, and health technology leaders. Their role is to guide product decisions, content quality, patient safety standards, and clinical workflows in line with evidence-based medicine.

The founding board members are:

• Dr. Eric Topol – Cardiologist, scientist, professor, and Executive Vice President at Scripps Research
• Dr. Devin Mann – Professor of Population Health and Medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine; Strategic Director of Digital Health Innovation at NYU Langone Health
• Dr. Wendy Chung – Mary Ellen Avery Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School; Chief of the Department of Pediatrics at Boston Children’s Hospital
• Tim Dybvig – Health technology founder with deep experience building patient-facing tools and health infrastructure

The board makes one thing clear: clinical decision-making stays between patients and their doctors. AI should support that relationship — not replace it.

Data Privacy and Security

Your Health Data Stays Yours

Given the sensitivity of health information, Perplexity emphasises strong privacy protections. All health data is encrypted in transit and at rest, with strict access controls in place. Users can disconnect health data sources — such as electronic health records or wearables — at any time.

Importantly, health data is never used to train AI models and is never sold to third parties. Users must also explicitly authorise access to their health records and can revoke permissions whenever they choose.

What This Means for Healthcare’s Future

A Strategic Push into Digital Health

Perplexity’s move follows similar industry developments, including ChatGPT Health, which also integrates iPhone health data. However, Perplexity’s approach stands out for its emphasis on physician oversight, cited medical literature, and a robust advisory framework.

Moreover, this initiative positions Perplexity for potential enterprise health, payer, and provider integrations. Advisory frameworks like this one could also support premium pricing and deeper penetration into the broader digital health market as regulators increasingly evaluate AI vendors.

Ultimately, Perplexity Health represents a shift away from SEO-driven, generic health content — toward AI that is genuinely personal, clinically grounded, and privacy-first.