This 22-page report shares the results of research conducted by the Pew Internet & American Life Project on the way in which people living in the United States access health information online. The figures shared here shed light on the strategy of using information and communication technology (ICT) - the internet - as a way to educate citizens about health. (All numerical data were gathered through telephone interviews conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates between August 1-31 2006, among a sample of 2,928 adults, aged 18 and older.)

The findings indicate that the strategy of sharing health information via the internet would seem to be one with great potential reach among this population: 80% of American internet users, or some 113 million adults, have searched for information on at least one of 17 health topics. This amounts to 10 million American adults searching for information on at least one health topic on a typical day. However, the percentage of internet users who search for health information has been stable over the past 4 years, even as the internet population has grown and broadband connections at home have become the norm. Certain groups of internet users in 2006 are the most likely to have sought health information online: women, internet users younger than 65, college graduates, those with more online experience, and those with broadband access at home.

Other findings that could guide thinking about use of this strategy include:

Nature & purpose of the online health seekers' visits:

• The typical health information session starts at a search engine; 66% of health seekers began their last online inquiry in this way (with only 27% beginning at a health-related website).
• 72% of health seekers visited 2 or more sites during their last health information session.
• 48% of health seekers say their quest for information was undertaken on behalf of
  someone else, not themselves.

Health seekers' own assessments of the online visits:

• 53% of health seekers report that most recent health information session had some
  kind of impact on how they take care of themselves or care for someone else: 42%
  described it as a minor impact and 11% described it as a major impact. The impact was most deeply felt by internet users who had received a serious diagnosis or experienced a health crisis in the past year, either their own or that of someone close to them.
• Most health seekers are pleased about what they find online - e.g., 74% say they felt reassured that they could make appropriate health care decisions; 56% say they felt confident to raise new questions or concerns about a health issue with their doctor; 56% say they felt relieved or comforted by the information they found online; and 51% say they felt eager to share their new health or medical knowledge with others. However, some reported feeling overwhelmed by the amount of information, frustrated by an inability to find what they were looking for online, confused by the information they found, or frightened by the serious or graphic nature of the information.
• Successful health information searches may bolster health seekers' confidence: 31% of health seekers, or about 35 million adults, say they or someone they know has been significantly helped by following medical advice or health information found on the internet.

Selected findings on the quality/rigour and implications of the health seekers' online "research":

• Just 15% of health seekers say they always check the source and date of the health information they find online. Three-quarters of health seekers say they check the source and date only sometimes, hardly ever, or never, which translates to about 85 million Americans gathering health advice online without consistently examining the quality indicators of the information they find. "One possible reason for this diminished diligence in checking sources and dates might lie with health websites themselves: A recent study commissioned by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services finds that just 4% of 'frequently visited' health websites disclosed the source of the information on their pages and 2% disclosed how the content is updated."
• This study finds that 33% of health seekers later talked with a doctor or other health professional about the information they found online during their most recent search, while 66% did not. "One of the concerns that the medical community expresses about online health seekers is whether they are self-diagnosing and self-medicating based on the material they find online and without consultation with medical experts." The researchers note that doctors may play a role in whether an "e-patient" decides to bring up online health information during a clinical conversation. They cite a recent article by physician Marc Siegel, noting that "a series of bold e-patients who insisted on being partners in their care inspired [in Dr. Siegel] a profound realization: 'Whatever the source of a patient's information, a physician is most effective when he or she isn't defensive, but acts as an interpreter of information and guide of treatment, leaving the ultimate control to the patient...'"