The number of U.S. adults who use the Internet as a source of medical information is almost equal to the number that would consult their personal physicians, according to a Harris Interactive poll, Computerworld reports.
The 2007 Consumer Medical and Health Information Poll, which was commissioned by Ask.com, found that 70% of respondents use the Internet as a primary source for medical information and 72% use their physicians.
The survey in July polled more than 3,300 adults and also found that:
- 76% of adults over 55 use the Internet to help diagnose or gain a better understanding of their medical conditions;
- 40% said they used friends and family as a source of medical information;
- 30% said they consulted newspapers and magazines;
- 26% turned to the television as a primary source for medical information; and
- About 25% of adults between the ages of 18 and 34 said they use the Internet because they are too embarrassed to consult with anyone.
Of those surveyed, two-thirds of respondents also said they use search engines to compile medical information and learn more about a diagnosis or medical problem, and more than half of respondents said they have conducted Internet searches for friends and family,
Computerworld reports.
In addition, 28% of respondents said that they use the Internet to search for alternative health options, such as homeopathic treatments (Havenstein,
Computerworld, 8/14).