{"id":97306,"date":"2002-12-29T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2002-12-29T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/2002\/12\/29\/part-4-the-internet-is-the-first-choice-for-many-health-information-seekers\/"},"modified":"2024-04-14T04:14:27","modified_gmt":"2024-04-14T09:14:27","slug":"part-4-the-internet-is-the-first-choice-for-many-health-information-seekers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/2002\/12\/29\/part-4-the-internet-is-the-first-choice-for-many-health-information-seekers\/","title":{"rendered":"Part 4: The Internet is the first choice for many health information seekers"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3 data-is-section=\"true\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;the-internet-is-the-first-choice-for-many-health-information-seekers&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"{&quot;namespace&quot;:&quot;prc-block\\\/table-of-contents&quot;}\" id=\"the-internet-is-the-first-choice-for-many-health-information-seekers\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Internet is the first choice for many health information seekers<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The number of Americans who use the Internet to find health care information has been on the rise, with online health and medical information playing a growing role in people\u2019s interactions with their doctors.\u00a0 When the Pew Internet Project first inquired in March 2000 about online health care, 46 million Americans had used the Internet to find health care information.\u00a0 By October 2002, that number had grown to 73 million. People go online to get information about specific illnesses, weight control, and prescription drugs.\u00a0 Most those who look for health information online \u2013 we call them \u201chealth seekers\u201d \u2013 are women, and often they are looking for information on behalf of someone for whom they are caring.\u00a0 Health seekers are typically careful to consult with a medical professional before acting upon online medical information.\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"402\" height=\"229\" alt=\"If you need reliable information about health or medical conditions, would you expect to be able to get that information online?\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/media\/1FAB7ED722C04228981AF242351C63AC.jpg\" class=\"aligncenter\"><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most Americans expect to be able to find reliable health care information online, which helps explain why such information plays a growing role in the decision-making of health seekers.\u00a0 Two-thirds (67%) of all Americans expect to find reliable health care information online, with four out of five (81%) of Internet users saying this and 45% of non-Internet users expecting reliable medical information to be online.\u00a0 The success rate among online health seekers is also very good.\u00a0 Three quarters (76%) of health seekers say they \u201calways\u201d or \u201cmost of the time\u201d find what they are looking for when they take to the Internet for health care information; 28% \u201calways\u201d find what they need.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most strikingly, Internet users are about as likely to say they will go online the next time they need medical information as they are to contact a medical professional.\u00a0 Nearly half (46%) of Internet users say they will use the Internet next time they need reliable health care information.\u00a0 This is statistically the same as the 47% of Internet users who say they will contact a medical professional.\u00a0 The Internet as the first choice for medical information is especially true for health seekers.\u00a0 Fully 58% of health seekers say they will first go online when they next need reliable health care information; 35% say their first move would be to contact a medical professional.\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">All in all, about one-third (31%) of all Americans say they will turn to the Internet next time they need health care information, while 59% they will contact a medical professional.\u00a0 About one in twelve non-Internet users \u2013 8%\u2013 say they will turn to the Internet first when they next need medical information.\u00a0 For those users, they probably will turn to a trusted caregiver with online access for this information.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"383\" height=\"275\" alt=\"The next time you need reliable information about health or medical conditions, will you be more likely to try to find it online, will you contact a medical professional, or try some other means to get the information?\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/media\/7EAD057CFCEB4301B2B68C608B3B8A06.jpg\" class=\"aligncenter\"><\/figure><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Internet is the first choice for many health information seekers The number of Americans who use the Internet to find health care information has been on the rise, with online health and medical information playing a growing role in people\u2019s interactions with their doctors.\u00a0 When the Pew Internet Project first inquired in March 2000 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