A new online healthcare report says that more Americans have turned to the Web for health information than have shopped online, and that the information they finding on the Net is having great impact on the choices they make about their own health. The study estimates that 52 million American adults - roughly 55 percent of those with Internet access, have used the Web to get health or medical information. And they are not, in the main, using the Web to communicate directly with doctors, according to the study.
Most users go to health sites for research and reference purposes.
Most health seekers have been able to get the information they need without making any significant trade-offs by giving up personal information. Nonetheless, the report indicates that there is strong evidence that the Web is helping people improve on the way they take care of themselves, despite ongoing concerns about how sensitive, private health information is used by Web sites and advertisers. The 23-page study details a number of findings about online healthcare research behaviors. Men, in general, are more likely than women to research issue relating to their own health, the report indicates. In their most recent health-research session, most health seekers surveyed said they focused on getting information about an immediate medical problem.