---
"title": "How many people use “ask a doctor” sites?"
"description": "An estimate of how many people go online to seek a doctor's opinion about something, such as on an \"ask a doctor\" site (hint: a fraction of a subgroup)."
"date": "2013-02-25"
"authors":
  -
    "name": "Susannah Fox"
    "job_title": "Former Researcher"
    "link": "https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/staff/susannah-fox/"
"url": "https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/internet/2013/02/25/how-many-people-use-ask-a-doctor-sites/"
"categories":
  - "Health Policy"
  - "Medicine & Health"
  - "Online Search"
---

# How many people use “ask a doctor” sites?

Here’s a question I received that I thought was worth a public answer:

**How many people go online to seek a doctor’s opinion about something, such as on an “ask a doctor” site?**

Pew Research has not asked a survey question that specifically measures that activity, but we have something pretty close, based on our [September 2012 national phone survey](https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/internet/Shared-Content/Data-Sets/2012/September-2012--Health-Tracking-\(prelim\).aspx):

8% of internet users say they have, in the past 12 months, posted a health-related question online or shared their own personal health experience online in any way.

Of those:

- 40% say they posted comments or stories about personal health experiences
- 19% say they posted specific health questions
- 38% say they posted both

Also based on the small group — just 8% of internet users:

- 78% of those who posted a comment, story, or question about their health say that they did so to reach a general audience of friends or other internet users.
- 11% say they posted somewhere specifically to get feedback from a health professional.
- 4% say they posted for both a general and a professional audience.
- 5% say none of those choices fit.

I’m not going to do the math, but it’s clear that only a tiny group of U.S. adults has, in the past year, posted a question online for a doctor to answer. The more common activity, which isn’t surprising at all, is to post a question or story for peers, family, and friends to ponder. That’s the basic idea behind [peer-to-peer healthcare](https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/internet/Reports/2011/Medicine-20/Part-1.aspx).

*Join the [discussion ](http://susannahfox.com/2013/02/25/how-many-people-use-ask-a-doctor-sites/#comments)on my personal blog.*