Health Topics: 80% of Internet Users Look for Health Information Online

From the Pew Research Center's reports on the Pew Internet Project website, this summary of numerical data is based on a September 2010 national telephone survey conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International (PSRAI) making statistics available on United States (US) internet users' habits of accessing health information online.

"Health information remains one of the most important subjects that internet users research online. The Pew Internet Project and California HealthCare Foundation have added eight new topics to [their] national survey measuring internet users’ interest in health information:

•     29% of internet users look online for information about food safety or recalls.
• 24% of internet users look online for information about drug safety or recalls.
• 19% of internet users look online for information about pregnancy and childbirth.
• 17% of internet users look online for information about memory loss, dementia, or Alzheimer’s.
• 16% of internet users look online for information about medical test results.
• 14% of internet users look online for information about how to manage chronic pain.
• 12% of internet users look online for information about long-term care for an elderly or disabled person.
• 7% of internet users look online for information about end-of-life decisions.

Symptoms and treatments continue to dominate internet users’ health searches. Six topics were repeated from previous surveys, in some cases adding to trends that date back to 2002:

• 66% of internet users look online for information about a specific disease or medical problem (perennially in the top spot).
• 56% of internet users look online for information about a certain medical treatment or procedure.
• 44% of internet users look online for information about doctors or other health professionals.
• 36% of internet users look online for information about hospitals or other medical facilities.
• 33% of internet users look online for information related to health insurance, including private insurance, Medicare or Medicaid.
• 22% of internet users look online for information about environmental health hazards."

"Two-thirds of adults in the U.S. have a home broadband connection. Younger adults, those with higher levels of education or income, and those living in urban or suburban areas are the most likely groups to have broadband access at home. Previous research by the Pew Internet Project has found that 34% of Americans believe that lack of broadband is a “major disadvantage” when it comes to getting health information. Eighty-two percent of home broadband users go online for health information, compared with 67% of internet users with dial-up access. Broadband users are more likely than dial-up users to look online for eight of the fifteen topics included in the survey.....Two-thirds of adults in the U.S. have a home broadband connection. Younger adults, those with higher levels of education or income, and those living in urban or suburban areas are the most likely groups to have broadband access at home. Previous research by the Pew Internet Project has found that 34% of Americans believe that lack of broadband is a “major disadvantage” when it comes to getting health information. Eighty-two percent of home broadband users go online for health information, compared with 67% of internet users with dial-up access. Broadband users are more likely than dial-up users to look online for eight of the fifteen topics included in the survey."