55% of health seekers have gathered information before visiting a doctor.64% of health seekers have looked for information about prescription drugs.65% of health seekers have looked for information about nutrition, exercise, or weight control.93% of health seekers have gone online to look for information about a particular illness or condition.We also asked for the first time about alternative medicine and saw that substantial numbers of Internet users go online for such material. The list below suggests the variety of things health seekers do online. We also see big increases in use of the Internet for mental health information and sensitive medical topics. In a special survey of 500 Internet users who go online for health care information, conducted June 19-August 6, 2001, we found the following:ĭisease information, material about weight control, and facts about prescription drugs top the list of interests for health seekers. There are no significant differences between whites, African Americans, and Hispanics when it comes to online health research. Those with more education and more Internet experience are more likely to search for medical advice online. And 71% of Internet users between 50 and 64 years old have gone online for health information, compared with 53% of those between 18 and 29. Some 72% of online women have gone online for health information, compared with 51% of online men. But the ease of using the Internet and the abundance of health information online are not changing their entire approach to health care. They often use the information in making important decisions about interacting with their doctors, getting diagnoses, and treatments. Health seekers seem to look for specific answers to targeted questions and are generally cautious about making decisions based on the information they find. Another quarter of health seekers check a site’s information “most of the time.” Half of all health seekers search for medical advice and “only sometimes,” “hardly ever,” or “never” check the source or date of the information they read online. Only about one quarter of health seekers follow the recommended protocol on thoroughly checking the source and timeliness of information and are vigilant about verifying a site’s information every time they search for health information. And about one third of health seekers who find relevant information online bring it to their doctor for a final quality check. She is likely to turn away from sites that seem to be selling something or don’t clearly identify the source of the information. She feels reassured by advice that matches what she already knew about a condition and by statements that are repeated at more than one site. She spends at least thirty minutes on a search. The typical health seeker starts at a search site, not a medical site, and visits two to five sites during an average visit. In reality, most health seekers go online without a definite research plan. That means more people go online for medical advice on any given day than actually visit health professionals, according to figures provided by the American Medical Association.Įxperts say that Internet users should check a health site’s sponsor, check the date of the information, set aside ample time for a health search, and visit four to six sites. About 6 million Americans go online for medical advice on a typical day. For shorthand purposes, we call them “health seekers” throughout this report. In a national survey conducted March 1-31, 2002, the Pew Internet Project found that 62% of Internet users, or 73 million people in the United States, have gone online in search of health information. If indeed there are problems with the quality of online health information, do consumers use sensible strategies to separate the good from the bad? While others have looked at online content and charted its deficiencies, the Pew Internet Project focused on users and asked them how they decide what information to believe and what advice to act on. However, there has been a drumbeat of warnings about the quality of online health information and there is cause for concern about whether consumers are finding the very best advice online. Many say the Internet has helped them or someone they know and very few report harmful effects from acting on bad information they found online. We now find that 73 million American adults use the Internet to research prescription drugs, explore new ways to control their weight, and prepare for doctor’s appointments, among other activities. In November 2000, the Pew Internet & American Life Project reported that 52 million American adults relied on the Internet to make critical health decisions. How Internet users decide what information to trust when they or their loved ones are sick
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