Survey Focus
Consumers largely unaware of Web site privacy efforts
Survey shows a digital divide in perceptions
Health care Web site developers may be trying to follow ethical privacy standards, but the public isn’t getting the message, according to a survey commissioned by the Internet Healthcare Coalition in Washington, DC, and the National Mental Health Association in Alexandria, VA.
Harris Interactive, an on-line market research firm based in Rochester, NY, conducted the survey, "Ethics and the Internet — Consumers vs. Webmasters." The results of the survey were released in October at the coalition’s third conference, "Quality Health Information on the ’Net 2000."
The key survey findings suggest that there is an apparent digital divide between the on-line public’s concerns and perceptions as they relate to the health Internet and those of the Web developers responsible for the construction of these sites, the researchers say.
Although nearly one-fifth of the on-line public has registered with a health-related Web site and provided personal information, the study shows that most of these adults are not aware of the information these sites have acquired about them and have not been informed as to how they can update the information they provided to the sites. In addition, they are unaware that these sites are tracking their movements. Nearly half of all adults who registered with a health-related Web site did not look for privacy and confidentiality statements on the sites.
"The survey indicates that education is and always has been the key to fostering a safe and comfortable consumer experience on the health Internet," says John Mack, president of the Internet Healthcare Coalition. "Consumers want to be the final judge in distinguishing good sites from bad sites but still lack the tools to do so."
Information for the layperson
Consumers look for information that is presented in terms that a layperson can understand, survey researchers say. These measures of quality are less important to Web site developers, who are more likely than the on-line public to focus on professional standards. The public believes such standards are important, but they often cannot tell if they are being met.
The majority of consumers say that it is difficult to distinguish between commercial and independent Web sites, identify the source of on-line information, or determine whether the information has been reviewed and approved by experts. More than eight in 10 consumers say that it is difficult to identify the sponsors or backers of specific sites.
The public’s apparent lack of discrimination may be a reflection of their lack of confidence in their own ability to evaluate quality or understand how quality is assured, the researchers say. Substantial percentages rely on their doctors to validate information, or they use multiple on-line searches as a means of validating information.
Web site developers are unanimous in their view that quality standards are important, but that they are not, however, always implemented. One in three Web site developers indicate that their sites do not have set standards that advertisers and sponsors must follow in order to place information on-line, and one in five identify some, but not all, funding partners on their sites.
Although Web site developers are generally concerned about the ability of health-related Web sites to maintain users’ confidentiality, they are much less critical of their own sites. The majority is confident that their sites are meeting consumers’ needs for confidentiality and that their organizations adhere to ethical standards.
The survey was conducted on-line with a cross-section of 1,049 adult members and willing survey respondents from the Harris Poll On-line panel. In addition, Harris Interactive surveyed 165 members of the Internet Healthcare Coalition, which included 101 developers or managers of health care-related Web sites. The survey can be found on-line at the Web site www.ihealthcoalition.org.
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