Eighty percent of American Internet users, or about 113 million adults, have searched for health information online.[1] The Pew Internet Project calls them “health seekers” and has tracked their behavior in telephone surveys over the last 7 years.
Three quarters of health seekers say they do not consistently check the source and date of the health information they find online.[2] This translates to about 85 million Americans gathering health advice online without usually examining the quality indicators of the information they find.
One possible reason for this diminishing diligence in checking sources and dates might lie with health Web sites themselves: A recent study commissioned by the US Department of Health and Human Services finds that just 4% of “frequently visited” health Web sites disclosed the source of the information on their pages and 2% disclosed how the content is updated.[3]
However, despite potential pitfalls, few health seekers report bad outcomes,[4] and many report positive effects of their online health queries. During their last search, for example, 74% of health seekers say they felt reassured that they could make appropriate healthcare decisions based on what they found online.[5]
It is important to acknowledge that most Americans are using the Internet to gather health information. Ask your patients about their online research. Provide the key words they might use when they go home to search for more information. But, you should urge them to check the source and date of the medical advice they find online.
That's my opinion. I'm Susannah Fox, associate director at the Pew Internet & American Life Project.
Footnotes
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References
- 1.Pew Internet & American Life Project. Online Health Search 2006. October 29, 2006; page 1. Available at: http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/190/report_display.asp Accessed January 8, 2007.
- 2.Pew Internet & American Life Project. Online Health Search 2006. October 29, 2006; page 11. Available at: http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/190/report_display.asp Accessed January 8, 2007.
- 3.US Department of Health and Human Services. Estimating the proportion of health-related websites disclosing information that can be used to assess their quality. May 30, 2006. Available at: http://www.health.gov/communication/healthypeople/obj1104/default.htm Accessed January 8, 2007.
- 4.Pew Internet & American Life Project. Online Health Search 2006. October 29, 2006; page 13. Available at: http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/190/report_display.asp Accessed January 8, 2007.
- 5.Pew Internet & American Life Project. Online Health Search 2006. October 29, 2006; page 9. Available at: http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/190/report_display.asp Accessed January 8, 2007.