August 2006

More adults than ever seek online health info

More adults than ever are now using the Internet to search for health-related information. About 80 percent of adults check health information online, compared to 72 percent in 2005, according to a Harris Interactive poll.

This brings the number of all U.S. adults who have ever searched for health information online (Harris Interactive refers to them as “cyberchondriacs”) to 136 million, a 16 percent increase from 117 million in 2005.

Most adults who have ever looked for health information online claim that they have been generally successful in finding what they are looking for. In addition, many believe the information to be at least somewhat reliable. Somewhat fewer adults say that they are talking to their physicians about the information from the Internet.

These are some of the results of a nationwide Harris Poll of 1,020 U.S. adults surveyed by telephone by Harris Interactive between July 5 and 11, 2006.

Specifically, the survey found:

• The number of U.S. adults who have ever gone online to look for health or medical information has increased to approximately 136 million, up from about 117 million last year.

• Six in 10 (61 percent) online adults say that they have looked for information about health topics often (21 percent) or sometimes (40 percent).

• Only 39 percent of online adults say they hardly ever or never search for health information.

• On average, a cyberchondriac searches the Internet five times per month.

• A large majority of cyberchondriacs (88 percent) indicate that they were successful in searching for health information online.

• Eighty-seven percent of cyberchondriacs say that the health information they found online has been reliable.

Cyberchondriacs are not only using the Internet to better educate themselves, but many (48 percent) are also using it to assist in their discussion with their physicians. Fewer than half (45 percent) of cyberchondriacs have searched for health information based on a discussion with their doctor.

Source: Harris Interactive, www.harrispollonline.com .

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