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Nine of 10 Women Online Seek Health Info via Web

The internet - rather than healthcare professionals - is by far online US households’ main source for healthcare information, and women more than men seek such information online, according to a recent Burst Media survey.

Burst surveyed some 3,700 web users 18 years and older on how they research health information - including prescription drugs and over-the-counter (OTC) remedies.

The following are among the findings of the survey:

• Online health information is sought out by all age segments:
  • 78.1% of respondents use the internet to gather health information.
  • Women more than men go online for health info - 83.5% vs. 72.4%.
  • 90.1% of women age 25-34 search for health information online.
  • More than three-quarters of those 65 years and older say they go online for health information.

• Young adults refer to online health info most often:
  • 40.8% of respondents age18-34 search online for health information at least once a week
  • 29.0% of respondents 35 years and older do so.
• Users go online before and after visits to doctor:
  • 33.9% of respondents research health topics online before visiting a medical professional.
  • Women 25-34 are most likely (55.4%) to do so.
  • 43.5% of respondents use the internet after a medical visit to research topics discussed during the visit.
  • Women are more likely than men to do further online research: 50.8% vs. 35.5%.
• The internet, more than the family doctor, is the primary source of health info:
  • 45.2% of respondents say the internet is the primary source of health information
  • 23.0% cite health professionals, and 12.9% cite friends and family.
  • Women more than men use the internet as their primary household health resource: 49.9% vs. 40.3%.
  • Men more than women cite health professionals: 25.8% vs. 20.4%.

• Users click on drug ads:
  • 23.5% of respondents say they have clicked on a prescription or OTC drug/remedy ad
  • 24.6% of women and 22.3% of men say they have done so.
  • The proportion of those who have click on ads is fairly consistent among the age segments, with the highest percentage - 27.2% - among respondents age 55+.
• Healthcare workers, family/friends top info sources:
  • 40.4% cited healthcare professionals as the top source for prescription and OTC drug/remedy information.
  • 35.3% cited family and friends.
  • 29.6% cited websites.
  • 29.3% pointed to pharmacists.
  • 26.1% said TV and print ads
  • Other sources: news stories (25.2%), internet advertising (18.6%) and product pamphlets/brochures (17.4%).

Burst provides more findings from the study, here.