A research carried out by
Pew Internet and American Life Study inferred that browsing for
health Information over the Internet is the third most popular Internet
activity. Browsers under this category are referred as ‘health
seekers”. According to the report around 70% of adult health
seekers searched at least one of the major health topics.
Identifying the Health Seekers
From the name, don’t assume that the browsers are ailing
with some serious illness on their deathbed. Two third of such people
are healthy but want to keep the risk of an illness at bay. A fifth
of them are suffering under chronic conditions like diabetes, arthritis.
Most of these health seekers are women aging between 30 to 45 years
old with a household income in excess of $70,000 per year.
Again the study conjures to an interesting point that 83% of women
searched for at least one of the 11 major topics, compared to 70%
of men.
How and Why Do They look for Health Information?
The study revealed that that health websites draw a huge traffic.
Many are regular visitors to these websites. The study also found
that most of these health seekers seek health information on behalf
of someone else.
What are they looking for on Health Websites?
Most of the visitors want to communicate with their doctor online
in order to 1) ask questions when no appointment is necessary 2)
make schedule, 3) fill up prescription and 4) get test consequences.
The more affluent patients are, the more willing they are to pay
for the option of communicating electronically.
How Are These Health Websites?
A survey of the websites made the following observation:
- 60% of the sites included claims that were vague
- 50% had no indication of whether or not their information was
influenced by commercial interests
- 40% had no indication of how up-to-date their content was
- 35% of the sites that collected personal information had no
privacy policy
- 27% of the sites offered no address or telephone number
- 25% of the sites gave no clear indication of who owned the site
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