consumers and the digital health information journey

Edelman Health Sector | January 2016

Consumers and the Digital Health Information Journey

Methodology

Objective

To understand the digital health “pathway,” and

how it varies across demographic and

pyschographic segments.

Timing

Survey fielded May 22 – June 12, 2015

Audience

Online survey of 1,500 U.S. adults who use digital health

resources, across the following demographic and

pyschographic segments:

◉ Millennials, ages 18-34 (n=420)

◉ Sandwich Generation, ages 35-64 (n=826)

◉ Seniors, 65+ (n=254)

◉ Caregivers, responsible for the health decisions of a parent

or other relative who is not a child (n=200)

Digital Health | Edelman Berland 2015 2

Caregivers are relying on digital health

information more than ever

Caregivers want online health content

that is detailed, factual and puts them

in control.

Caregivers share – but not always

publicly.

Caregivers trust owned content.

Caregivers will share sponsored content that

is entertaining, but informational content will

help them change behaviors.

Key Insights

3Digital Health | Edelman Berland 2015

Caregivers are relying on

digital health information

more than ever

I N S I G H T

Q13: In the past year, would you say that you have become more or less reliant on online resources for information about health?

Q14: For what reasons have you become more reliant on online health resources in that past year? (Open-end, Asked if more reliant, n=578)

Caregivers are increasingly reliant

on digital health informationPercent who are increasingly reliant on online resources compared

to last year—and why:

39%

56%

49%

TotalCaregiversMillennials


62%

51% 50% 50%

41%

34%

26% 24%

13%

57%

50%54%

39%

29%

Total (for myself)

Caregivers (for a relative)

Caregivers are looking for information about medications,

treatments, hospitals and recovery on behalf of a relativePercent who have viewed each of the following health-related

information online in the past year:

Health

Symptoms

Doctors/health

care providers

Treatment

Procedure

Medications Specific disease/

condition

Health insurance

providers

Hospital/

facility

Test results Recovery

46%

58%


37%

23%

Q9: Which, if any, of the following health-related information have you viewed online in the past year for yourself / for a relative?

20%

28%

29%

29%

32%

34%

35%

Adjust my behaviors / daily routine

Supplement information from my doctor

Make decisions about my treatment

Discuss it with my doctor

Verify other information sources

Self-diagnose my symptoms

Caregivers are more likely to use digital health information to

change behaviors

Of the total respondents, percent who have used digital health information to:

Q16: How have you used the health information you’ve read/viewed online in the past year?

Make decisions about my treatment

Adjust my behaviors/daily routine

Digital Health | Edelman Berland 2015

28%Caregivers more likely to

◉ Encourage someone to adjust

their behaviors (36%)

◉ Find or select a doctor for

someone I’m responsible for (27%)

7

Find / select a doctor/ health facility

Caregivers want online

health content that is

detailed, factual and puts

them in control.

I N S I G H T

Q34-35: Which of the following statements comes closest to your opinion when reading information online about a chronic / acute condition? Digital Health | Edelman Berland 2015

Consumers – including Caregivers – want detail and controlPercent who agree with each statement:

provide very detailed,

clinical information

A lot of detail

38%

provide a summary, but allow me

to deep dive into the areas that I

want to further explore

Give me control

41%

provide an overview without

getting into the details

Give me an overview

21%

9

29%

26%25%

13%11%

19%18%

5% 5% 5%

Q36. When you are looking at health information online for the following types of conditions, do you prefer that the information sounds…?

Consumers – Caregivers included – want information that’s

direct and instructive, not personal or humorousPercent who prefer online health information that sounds:


Direct Instructive Matter-of-Fact Clinical Down to Earth Academic Encouraging Personal Light-hearted AspirationalAuthoritative Humorous

Objective Subjective/Soft

36%34%

10

Video content: The message is more

important than the messengerPreferences for video content, in rank order:

Educational focusGraphic detailsPatient testimonialsDoctor interviews Medical explanations

More engaging and useful

Digital Health | Edelman Berland 2015 11Q33: Thinking about the types of health-related videos you see online, how engaging and useful are each of the following?

Caregivers share —

but not always publicly.

I N S I G H T

Q17: How have you shared the following types of online health information with others in the last year?

Who shares: Caregivers are more likely to share….

Percent who shared digital health information in the last year:

TOTAL

61%


MILLENNIALS

73%

CAREGIVERS

77%

13


Percent who shared digital health information in the last year:

But they are more likely to share privately

TOTAL

60%

CAREGIVERS

76%

MILLENNIALS

70%Shared in person

or by email/

private message

Shared information

on social media 22% 44% 34%

14Q17: How have you shared the following types of online health information with others in the last year?

19%

21%

21%

25%

28%

31%

33%

33%

35%

35%

60%

7%

7%

5%

5%

6%

5%

10%

6%

10%

6%

22% Shared in person or viaemail/private message

Shared digitally (public)


Percent of the types of digital health information consumers share online

or in person in the past year:

Sharing privately is true across digital health information topics

Any

Exercise/fitness information

Diet/nutrition information

Information about treatment options

Information about symptoms I’m having

Medication/side effect information

Information about test results

Doctor reviews/ratings

Information about symptoms for someone else

Medical facility reviews/ratings

Information about post-treatment recovery

15Q17: Have you shared the following types of online health information with others in the last year?

15%14%

12%11%

10%

7%6%

5% 5%

30%

19%20% 21%

19%

11% 12% 12%10%

30%

25%26%

23%

19%

12%10%

11%

8%

Total Millennials Caregivers

Q29: In the last year, how have your participated in sharing health information online? Digital Health | Edelman Berland 2015

Social sharing behaviors: Caregivers, like Millennials, are active

online sharers/creatorsPercent who have shared health information online

in each way in the past year:

“Liked” or

“favorited” a post

on a social

media site

Reviewed a doctor

or service provider

Engaged in

fundraising on

behalf of a cause

Posted a comment

to an online

community

Re-shared content

on social media or

other online sites

Shared your story Taken a pledge Submitted

a photo

Submitted an

essay

16

37%35%

31% 30%

24% 24%

20%

17%15%

34%

42%

34%

26% 26%

22% 22% 22%20%

39% 38% 37%

33%

28%25%

30%

22%

13%

Total Millennials Caregivers

Cause is key for Caregivers

Percent why specific audiences shared health information

online in the past year:

Educate others

about a cause

It was easy Help someone

I know who

is affected

Raise awareness

for a cause

Help someone,

even if I don’t know

anyone affected

It didn’t take

much time

To be seen

as supporting

a cause

Friends/social

network

supporting a

cause and

encouraged me

Had a

photo/story

comment ready

to go

Digital Health | Edelman Berland 2015 17Q30. In the last year, why have you participated in sharing health information online? (Asked if shared online, n=597 total, n=264 Millennials, n=120 Caregivers)

75%

70%

65%

64%

55%

56%

56%

43%

40%

40%

36%

34%

60%

53%

52%

49%

42%

40%

39%

32%

31%

29%

28%

24%

Likely to Share - Total Likely to Share - Caregivers


Caregivers are especially likely to share online health content

Percent who are likely to share the following types of online

health content with a friend or family member

Educational games

Mobile apps

Quizzes

Photos

Videos

Graphics/Informational charts

Reviews/comments from patients

Healthcare provider ratings

Comments from healthcare professionals

General information in text form

Advertisements

Podcasts

18Q31: How likely are you to share the following types of online health content with a friend or family member? (Shown: Top 2 Box)

Caregivers trust owned

content.

I N S I G H T

83%

76% 75%

66% 64% 62%

54% 53% 51%48% 46% 45%

31%28%

87% 85%82%

76%71% 72%

65% 64%

55%59%

63%

54%

40%

32%

Total Caregivers

Caregivers have a much higher trust in online health content,

including owned contentPercent who trust each type of website for health information:

20Digital Health | Edelman Berland 2015Q24: Below is a list of online information sources. For each type of source, please tell us how much you trust it as a source for health information. Please use a

9-point scale where one means that you “do not trust it all” and nine means you “trust it a great deal”


Caregivers and Millennials are comfortable with sponsored

contentPercent who are comfortable with sponsored content “as long as it clearly shows

who the sponsor is and it’s relevant to me”:

TOTAL

54%

MILLENNIALS

60%

CAREGIVERS

59%

21Q42. Overall, which of the following best describes your perspective on sponsored health content?

Caregivers will share

sponsored content that is

entertaining, but

informational content will

help them change

behaviors.

I N S I G H T

Relevance is key to draw interest of Caregivers and others

Sponsored content attention-getters for total respondents, in rank order:

MORE IMPORTANT IN DRAWING INTEREST

Digital Health | Edelman Berland 2015 23Q39: Thinking about the ways that health companies can use sponsored content to draw your interest, which of the following is the most important or least

important?

Include the name

of the author of

the content

Include video

content

Include

appealing

images

Tell an

interesting story

Information on which

the company is an

authority

Be on a

website I know

and trust

Content that is

informative

Information

that is relevant

to me

Be sponsored by a

company or brand I

know and trust

Content that is

entertaining

Info that gets shared is different than what changes behavior

Types of sponsored content that would increase various

sharing habits vs. behavior changes, in rank order:

Get Shared >> Change Behavior >>

Repost content to

your social network

Recommend to

others

Share content with

friends or family

Discuss content

with your doctor

Adjust your

behaviors/daily

routine

Informative

Interesting story

Relevant to me

On a trusted website

Entertaining

Relevant to me

Informative

On a trusted website

Brand is an authority

Brand is trusted

24Digital Health | Edelman Berland 2015Q40: Again, thinking about the ways that health companies can use “sponsored” content to draw your interest, which of the following would increase the chance

that you would…?

Action plan for brands


Action plan for

brands

Develop strategies – like linking your brand

to a cause – to activate the influential

Caregiver audience.

Present information straight up, and give

Caregivers control over the level of depth

and detail.

Create content that can easily be shared

privately and links back to owned properties.

Take full advantage of the high trust

Caregivers place in owned content to

engage and influence.

Explore new ways to measure the private

sharing of health information to more fully

capture brand impact.


Discussion


Appendix


Digital Health Across Life Stages

Millennials (Age 18-34) Sandwich (Age 35-64) Seniors (Age 65+)

• In control of their health for the first time

• Highly engaged, use many sources, want details

on a breadth of topics

• High-information diet can make them feel

concerned and overwhelmed

• Sandwich Generation attitudes and behaviors

are in line with the “Total” findings for adults 18+

• Go online to supplement information from their

doctors or to verify other sources

• Want information specific to their own

symptoms, disease states, medications, test

results and treatments


Caregivers

• Spans life stages: Millennials (34%), Sandwich

Generation (60%) and even some younger

Seniors (6%)

• Need information about specific symptoms,

disease states and treatments relevant to their

loved ones

• Active in sharing digital health information

online to help educate others and raise

awareness about a cause or issue

THREE GENERATIONS:

ONE CROSS-GENERATIONAL SEGMENT:

29