One of the most common uses of the Internet is increasingly for gathering health information. Research by the Pew Research Center's Internet and American Life Project and the California HealthCare Foundation (CHCF) found that 80% of Internet users look online for health information, making it the third most popular online pursuit among all those tracked by the Pew Internet Project, following email and search engines.
A national telephone survey found that new topics are continually added to health information searches, such as when food safety or drug recalls are in the news. But the same survey found a health information divide along education, age, and income lines, with some of the most vulnerable populations not as likely to see the most up-to-date information on drug recalls, food safety, and medical treatments.
According to the research, the most likely groups to look online for health information include caregivers, women, whites, younger adults, and adults with at least some college education. The groups least likely to look online for health information include African Americans, Latinos, people living with disability, older adults, and adults with a high school education or less.
But the rise of wireless Internet access through mobile devices could shift the patterns of who is looking for health information online. Young people, Latinos, and African Americans are increasingly likely to use mobile devices to gather information, including health advice.
The percentage of Internet users who look online for information about:
- A specific disease or medical problem: 66%. The top five conditions searched for on WebMD, for example, are shingles, gallbladder, gout, hemorrhoids, and lupus.
- A certain medical treatment or procedure: 56%. For example, pain relievers, antidepressants, high blood pressure medication, corticosteroids, and hysterectomy.
- Doctors or other health professionals: 44%.
- Hospitals or other medical facilities: 36%.
- Health insurance, including private insurance, Medicare or Medicaid: 33%.
- Food safety or recalls: 29%.
- Drug safety or recalls: 24%.
- Environmental health hazards: 22%.
- Pregnancy and childbirth: 19%.
- Memory loss, dementia, or Alzheimer's: 17%.
- Medical test results: 16%.
- How to manage chronic pain: 14%.
- Long term care for an elderly or disabled person: 12%.
- End-of-life decisions: 7%.
Peer-to-peer Healthcare
Pew Internet released a second report, Peer-to-peer Healthcare, based on the same survey data. The report shows how many Americans turn to friends and family for support and advice when they have a health problem, and that people's networks are expanding to include online peers. One in four Internet users living with a chronic condition such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart conditions, lung conditions, cancer, or some other chronic ailment (23%) say they have gone online to find others with similar health concerns.
Both reports are available on the Pew Internet site through the External Links below.