Seeking Health Information on the Internet

More and more Americans are using the Internet to access health information. A new survey from the Pew Internet Project and California HealthCare Foundation reveals that health is the third most popular topic Americans look for online. Two-thirds of Internet users look for information about a specific condition or problem. More than half of Internet users seek out data about treatments. Over 40 percent check out doctors or other healthcare professionals and over one third of Internet users use the Web to find out more about hospitals and other medical facilities.
The Pew Internet Project has been tracking how people use the Internet for more than a decade. It is striking that eight out of ten Internet users go online for health information. Many are using the Web as a de facto second opinion, according to Susannah Fox, associate director of Digital Strategy for the Pew Internet & American Life Project.