News Brief: On-line health information helps decisions, study says
July 1, 2002 2 minutes read
News Brief: On-line health information helps decisions, study says
Recent studies indicate that the number of people in the United States who seek health care information on-line has doubled since 1998, and that those who search the web for such material say it has an impact on their decisions.
The number of people who go on-line for information about health topics has grown from 54 million in 1998 to 110 million this year, according to a survey by Rochester, NY-based Harris Interactive, a worldwide market research and consulting firm.
Sixty-eight percent of Americans searching the web for health care information say the information they found on-line had some impact on their decisions, according to a study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project in Washington, DC.
That would appear to be good news for hospitals and health systems hoping to increase their visibility and accessibility through use of the Internet. The Pew study found that the typical "health seeker" accesses two to five health sites found through a search engine and spends at least 30 minutes on the search. One-third of the health seekers brings relevant information to their physician.
However, the study found that 73% of health seekers rejected information found on-line for various reasons, including that information appeared too commercial or because they couldn’t determine the source of the information. The report, "Vital Decisions: How Internet Users Decide What Information To Trust When Their Loved Ones Are Sick," can be found at www.pewtrusts.com.
The Harris Interactive survey found that the most visited health sites in the United States are for medical journals, commercial health pages, and academic or research institutions.
Some respondents said they look for information only if their physician tells them to do so, but others say they judge the information on their own without consulting their physician. For more information, go to www.harrisinteractive.com.
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