Health Online 2013

One in three U.S. adults say that at one time or another they have gone online specifically to try to figure out what medical condition they or someone else might have. And yet medical professionals are still most people’s top choice when they are dealing with a serious health concern, according to a new survey by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project. Among those who have used online information to try to diagnose themselves or someone else, 53% say they later saw a medical professional to talk about their concerns. Clinicians were more likely than not to confirm the online diagnosis. Among the survey’s other findings:

  • 59% of U.S. adults say they looked online for health information within the past year.
  • Of those, 8 in 10 say they started their last health inquiry at a general search engine. Smaller groups started at a dedicated health website or social networking site.
  • 1 in 4 health information seekers say they have encountered a pay wall. Most tried to find the same information somewhere else, but some just gave up. Only 2% paid the fee.

Health Online 2013