How Do Online Health Info Seekers Feel About the Internet as a Research Tool?

by Jayne Krahn

About 82% of adults who've used the Internet for health research in the last year say they feel the Internet provides them with a wealth of resources when searching for health and wellness information, according to the 2013 Online Behavior Study. When it comes to health and wellness, 69% say that having access to online tools and information is critical.

However, that doesn't take away from the fact that these adults are still careful about the specific online resources they use. About three out of four adults admit to being very cautious about the sites they access for health info and only 29% are comfortable entering personal information on a website. Further, more than half (53%) say it's hard for them to know which websites they can trust.

The majority of these adults (60%) say the Internet is the first source they turn to when researching health and wellness, but only 35% feel the Internet is a good way to confirm a diagnosis.

So even though these digitally-savvy adults recognize that the Internet is filled with in-depth health information and other resources to help them understand medical conditions, they are still careful and not fully reliant on it.

For more information about accessing full study results, contact us here.

The MARS Online Behavior Study helps the industry make better decisions about how to incorporate online into pharmaceutical and OTC marketing strategies. The MARS Online Behavior Study is fielded as a re-contact among the MARS Core respondents who said they accessed the Internet in the last 30 days.