Table 1.

Search scenarios presented to participants.

Scenarios		Common search motivations identified in the literaturea
Search scenarios
	A physician talked to you/your husband/your father about taking a PSAb test. The doctor explained that the validity of the test has been questioned by a number of physicians. How do you assess the validity of the test?	16% search for interpretations of medical test results [20]
	Your doctor prescribes eszopiclone and lets you know that you might develop a bad aftertaste when taking the medication. You do not develop a bad aftertaste, but feel occasionally nauseous. Could nausea be a result of taking eszopiclone?	45% search for information on prescription drugs [20]
	Your partner/parent has been told by his/her physician that he/she has an increased risk of a stroke. How would you recognize a stroke?	66% search for a particular illness or condition [20]
Inference scenarios
	Your daughter’s/your sister’s gynecologist recommends that she should get the gardasil vaccination. What would you advise her to do?	16% search for immunization- and vaccine-related information [21]
	Close friends of yours are contacted by their pediatrician, who recommends that their child get an MMRc vaccination. Your friends discuss the matter with you. Should their child be vaccinated?	16% search for immunization- and vaccine-related information [21]
	Your pregnant daughter’s/friend’s gynecologist suggests that she might want to undergo an amniocentesis. What would you advise her?	19% search for pregnancy-related information [21]
	You wake up one morning with a swollen elbow. What could that be? How would you go about treating it?	18% state using the Internet to self-diagnose [20]

^a Search motivations are based on survey results provided by the Pew Internet & American Life Project. Percentages refer to representative samples of US Web users.

^b Prostate-specific antigen.

^c Measles-mumps-rubella.