e marketer online_health_information_seekers-internet_use_grows_but_doctors_orders_still_apply

Copyright ©2013 eMarketer, Inc. All rights reserved.

A Growing Demand for Health Information Online 2

Where Health Consumers Are Going Online—And Why 6

Doctor Still Seems to Know Best 8

Conclusions 9

eMarketer Interviews 10

Related eMarketer Reports 10

Related Links 10

February 2013

Executive Summary: The internet is an increasingly important source of information for people seeking information about health and healthcare. But most online health seekers still rely on their doctors to recommend the best course of treatment. 143924

Women with children in the household are the primary users of online health information—they are the “chief medical officers” of their families. Roughly three-quarters of US women use the internet for health information, according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, and many of them do so nearly daily. Seniors are another key group accessing the web for health information, and although they are less web-savvy than younger users, the characteristics of the age group will shift rapidly as baby boomers pass age 65.

This report focuses on health information seekers—i.e., people who go online to learn about specific health conditions and treatment options. It does not focus on wellness seekers, who go online for overall wellness information, including information about fitness, exercise and mental well-being.

Key Questions

■ How many people use the internet for health information?

■ How do moms use the internet for health purposes, and how does their use differ from that of other groups?

■ What kinds of information are online health seekers looking for?

■ What are the online health information needs specific to seniors?

% of total

Primary Reason that Patients Search for HealthInformation Online According to HealthcareProfessionals* in North America, March 2012

To learn about their health condition50%

To learn about available treatment options35%

To learn about a medication6%

Other5%

Unknown4%

Note: *health education specialists, nurse practitioners, registereddietitians, nurses, certified diabetes educators, patient educators, publichealth professionals and social workersSource: HealthEd Academy, "Healthcare Extender Lens," July 26, 2012143924 www.eMarketer.com

Richard Meyer [email protected]

Contributors Danielle Drolet, Cindy Liu

Online Health Information Seekers: Internet Use Grows, But Doctors’ Orders Still Apply

Online Health Information Seekers: Internet Use Grows, But Doctors’ Orders Still Apply Copyright ©2013 eMarketer, Inc. All rights reserved. 2

A Growing Demand for Health Information Online

The use of the internet as a source of health information has grown in recent years. Women, and particularly mothers with children at home, are a major part of that trend.

Comparative Estimates: Health Seekers Online

The number of visitors to US health sites has grown significantly over the past four years. comScore reported that 157 million people, or 71.5% of US internet users, visited health-related websites in 2012. In 2008, that percentage was below 40%.

Estimates of the number of people in the US who access health information online vary. At the high end, Kantar Media estimated 87% of all US internet users went online for health information in 2012. By contrast, the Pew Internet & American Life Project put this total at 72%. Several factors may account for the difference, including the phrasing of survey questions by each research organization, how they define online health, and how they define the survey population itself. For example, Harris Interactive based its results on “all Americans who have ever looked online for health information,” as opposed to Pew, which limited its measure to those who had done so in the past year.

% of respondents

Comparative Estimates: US Consumers Who Go Onlinefor Health Information, 2011 & 2012

2011 2012 Age

Among consumersWolters Kluwer Health, May 2012 - 75% 18+

Manhattan Research, Oct 2011 & Oct 2012 73% 73% 18+

Pew Internet & American Life Project, Jan 2013 - 59% 18+

Harris Interactive, Sep 2011 74% - 18+

National Center for Health Statistics, Aug 2012 47% - 18+

Among internet usersKantar Media, Jan 2013 90% 87% 18+

comScore Inc., April & Aug 2012 68% 72% 2+

Pew Internet & American Life Project, Jan 2013 - 72% 18+

Harris Interactive, Sep 2011 89% - 18+

Source: various, as noted, 2011-2013150915 www.eMarketer.com

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Even with the methodological differences between researchers, it’s fair to say that well more than half of US consumers seek health information online. While the growth rate of online health information seekers is most likely unsustainable, eMarketer predicts that searches for online health information will remain high for several reasons.

For one thing, people are going to the doctor less. The US Census Bureau reported that among working-age adults, the number of annual doctor visits fell from 4.8 in 2001 to 3.9 in

2010. It seems likely that this trend will lead to more people using the internet for health purposes.

The other challenge is the rising cost of employer-provided health insurance. While employers still shoulder a substantial share of their employees’ healthcare insurance expenses, employees have been paying a larger portion of the total amount every year as companies pass costs onto their workers. In addition, some people with employer-based health insurance are finding that their co-pays—the money they pay directly to the doctor for an office visit—are also increasing.

Finally, the baby boom generation is reaching retirement age. As baby boomers pass age 65, their heavy use of the web will change usage patterns for the “senior” demographic overall as the senior population gains a steady influx of more frequent and more web-savvy internet users.

The population that seeks health information online has certain clearly defined characteristics. Importantly, it is predominantly female. Women, who are sometimes referred to as “the chief medical officers” of their families, are using the internet for health information more than men. According to Pew, nearly 8 in 10 US female internet users went online for health information in the year ended in September 2012, compared to 65% of US male internet users.

Older consumers are generally less active users of the internet, and that goes for their health information searching as well. Pew found a significant 58% of US internet users ages 65 and older tapped into health resources online. Those searchers were in the minority, though, as less than one-third of all US consumers in that age group went online for health information, Pew noted.


% of respondents in each group

Demographic Profile of US Internet Users vs. TotalConsumers Who Look Online for Health Information,Sep 2012

Internet users

GenderFemale 79%

Male 65%

Age18-29 76%

30-49 75%

50-64 71%

65+ 58%

Race/ethnicityWhite 73%

Black 69%

Hispanic 66%

Household income<$30K 65%

$30K-$50K 71%

$50K-$75K 81%

$75K+ 80%

Education levelSome high school 57%

High school 63%

Some college 74%

College graduate 81%

Total 72%

Total

64%

53%

72%

67%

54%

30%

60%

51%

48%

45%

61%

77%

78%

27%

45%

67%

78%

59%Note: in the past yearSource: Pew Internet & American Life Project, "Health Online" sponsored by California HealthCare Foundation, Jan 15, 2013150445 www.eMarketer.com

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It is also worth noting that the Pew study pointed up significant differences tied to income and education levels. It found that wealthier and better educated internet users were far more likely to access the internet for health information. The reasons for this vary, but the complexity and depth of online health information, especially for complicated health conditions like cancer, are likely factors. The National Network of Libraries of Medicine found that patients who used the internet for health information faced “complex information and treatment decisions” that require a number of skills, such as computer literacy, to correctly use the health information they find. Similarly, complexity of language can be a barrier. Loyola University Medical Center in 2012 examined 62 websites that focused on prostate cancer and found that only three of them had treatment information written below a 9th-grade reading level.

Data from Manhattan Research adds to the profile of online health information seekers. Its “Cybercitizen Health 2012” report found that the mean annual income of online health seekers was $52,400 and that 33% were parents with one or more children under the age of 18 in the household.

For healthcare marketers, there are several key demographic groups to consider: women, seniors and caregivers (who

may also be part of the first two groups). Their search for health information online varies according to income, level of education and ethnicity, as explored in the following sections.

Women: The ‘Chief Medical Officer’ of the Family

Women play an outsized role in the world of online health. They not only are likely to be the “Chief Household Officer,” but also the “Chief Medical Officer,” with the internet a key tool to help them manage their families’ health.

In a 2011 survey by BabyCenter, a pregnancy and parenting website, 86% of women said they made the decisions about the healthcare treatments their families used. While most said they trusted their doctors, they still went online before and after office visits to learn more about prescribed treatments and diagnosed health conditions.

Women are not light internet users, either. Enspektos, a company that provides marketing services to healthcare organizations, found in January 2012 that 60% of mom internet users accessed the internet for health content “frequently” or “very frequently”—and nearly one-third searched the internet for health information once a day or every few days.

% of respondents

Frequency with Which US Mom Internet UsersConsult Select Digital Channels for Health Content,Jan 2012

Internet33% 27% 25% 8% 7%

Very frequentlyFrequently

Somewhat frequentlyInfrequently

Very infrequently

Note: n=573 with children ages 6 months-18 living in their householdSource: Enspektos, "Digging Beneath the Surface: Understanding the DigitalHealth Mom," May 9, 2012141371 www.eMarketer.com

Social networks9% 19% 19% 47%6%

Mobile

3% 4%

10% 12% 71%

Twitter

2% 3%6% 8% 81%

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Erin Byrne, executive vice president, managing partner and chief engagement officer at healthcare communications agency Grey Healthcare Group, said the connection between moms and the internet is hard to overstate. She quoted a focus group participant as saying, “I am the family doctor, and the internet is my nurse.”

Kate Drummond, media partner at Greater Than One, an online agency specializing in healthcare digital marketing, underscored that relationship, calling women online “Dr. Moms.”

Moms are not just seeking information. They are using technology



to help manage their families’ health. An October 2012 eMarketer report, “The Mobile-Social Mom: Speeding the Trend Toward ‘Mobile First,’” noted that “moms have long been on the leading edge of social network use, and they are also ahead of the curve when it comes to smartphone and tablet ownership.” To that point, Enspektos found that among moms who had apps on their mobile devices, nearly half had downloaded health apps. And Pew reported that among US smartphone owners, women were more likely than men to use health apps.


Demographic Profile: US Smartphone Owners WhoUse Health Apps, Sep 2012

Female 23%

Male 16%

18-29 24%

30-49 19%

50-64 16%

65+ 10%

Black 21%

White 19%

Hispanic 15%

<$30K

Gender

Race/ethnicity

Age

Income14%

$30K-$50K 21%

$50K-$75K 21%

$75K+ 23%

Total 19%

Note: apps used to track or manage healthSource: Pew Internet & American Life Project, "Mobile Health 2012"sponsored by California HealthCare Foundation, Nov 8, 2012147285 www.eMarketer.com

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Online Seniors: Seeking Age-Specific Information

Seniors are less likely to be online than younger groups, but they are catching up. And, as Pew reported, once older adults are online, “the internet becomes a fixture in their lives.” Pew found that 70% of internet users ages 65 and older were online every day.

eMarketer projects there will be 22.9 million seniors (ages 65 and older) online in 2013, increasing to 24.5 million in 2014. According to Pew, the percentage of US adults ages 65 and over who use the internet or email passed the 50% threshold in 2012, a significant uptick from August 2011, when just 41% of seniors were using the internet.

Seniors have special needs when it comes to health information. The National Network of Libraries of Medicine said, for example, that “older adults use more medical services

and acquire more chronic illnesses than other population segments.” Yet the American Academy of Family Physicians found that half of the US seniors it surveyed in March 2012 felt there wasn’t a single online resource where they could find highly credible health information. Survey respondents identified certain subjects as especially difficult to locate, such as information about prescription drugs for the elderly (14%) and preventative medical care for seniors (13%).

% of respondents

Top 5 Types of Hard-to-Find Health InformationAccording to US Seniors, March 2012

Prescription drug information for the elderly14%

Preventative medical care for seniors13%

Sexuality in later life12%

Helping older adults deal with life-changing events11%

Assisted living and other housing options for seniors9%

Note: n=448 ages 65+Source: American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), "Seniors andCaregivers" conducted by Harris Interactive, April 24, 2012142933 www.eMarketer.com

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According to healthcare marketing agency Smith & Jones, seniors research all options, challenge assumptions and rely on conversations with their doctors to make healthcare choices. Interestingly, while seniors are not active social media users, Smith & Jones found they were increasingly willing to consider reviews and rating systems when choosing healthcare providers and specialists.

The transformation in seniors seeking online health information is being driven by the changing demographics and psychographics of people in the 65-and-over cohort. AARP estimates that each day for the next 17 years about 8,000 baby boomers will turn 65. Boomers historically have tended to pride themselves on challenging the status quo. Smith & Jones found that boomers were inclined to follow their physicians’ advice while researching their options at the same time—a stance that might be described as “trust, but verify.”

The Caregiver’s Challenge: Help Me Manage My Caring

Caregivers form a special group of online health information seekers. Like the overall internet health-seeker group, they are most likely to be women, but with a different set of concerns and needs, especially around emotional support.

The nonprofit Family Caregiver Alliance reported that in 2012, 66% of caregivers were women and that more than one-third took care of two or more people. The older the caregiver, the more likely it was that the caregiver was a woman: For those



ages 50 and over, 69% were women. In the 18-to-49 age group, the split was closer to even, with women making up 53% of the total. The Family Caregivers Alliance said that “research suggests that the number of male caregivers may continue to increase for a variety of social and economic factors.”

A Pew report released in June 2012 but featuring data from September 2010 found that roughly “one-third of US adults are performing some sort of caregiver role, such as helping a family member with household chores or managing finances.” Overall, 79% of caregivers had access to the internet, Pew said, and of those, 88% looked online for health information.

“Caregivers not only care for their loved one’s physical and emotional needs, but their information needs as well,” said Susannah Fox, an associate director at the Pew Research Center and lead author of the study.

Caregivers have different online needs than people who are looking for health information for themselves. According to Kantar Media’s March 2012 “MARS Consumer” health study, caregivers relied on the internet for both health and wellness information. The study showed the No. 1 reason caregivers had gone online to look for health and wellness information in the previous year was to find information about health insurance (31%), followed by advice on living with a chronic condition or managing chronic pain (22%).

% of respondents

Reasons that US Caregivers Go Online for Health andWellness Information, March 2012

To find information about health insurance, including privateinsurance, Medicare or Medicaid

31%

To look for advice on living with a chronic condition or managingchronic pain

22%

To gather information on long-term care for an elderly ordisabled person

11%

To learn about anti-aging procedures or products10%

To research joint replacement options (e.g., knee or hipreplacement)

5%

Note: ages 18+; among those who go online for health and wellnessinformationSource: Kantar Media, "MARS 2012 Online Behavior Study," June 1, 2012151271 www.eMarketer.com

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The American Academy of Family Physicians found the internet was playing a more important information role for caregivers than were family and friends or subspecialists, but hadn’t yet surpassed the importance of primary care or other physicians. While there is a wealth of health information available to them, online caregivers still rely on doctors to help them sort out what is best for the people under their care.

% of respondents

Sources of Health Information According to USCaregivers, March 2012

Physician 63%

Primary care physician 60%

Internet 57%

Family/friends 43%

Subspecialist 18%


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The American Academy of Family Physicians also found that caregivers had a hard time finding information about how to balance work with caregiving (21%), and likewise found it difficult to locate information about depression in older adults (20%) and about how being a caregiver affected their own health (19%), among other topics.

% of respondents

Top 5 Types of Hard-to-Find Health InformationAccording to US Caregivers, March 2012

Balancing work and caregiving21%

Depression in older adults20%

Caregiver health19%

Prescription drug information for the elderly17%

Assisted living and other housing options for seniors16%


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Where Health Consumers Are Going Online—And Why

HealthEd Academy, in a survey of healthcare professionals about their patients, found in March 2012 that the top two reasons patients searched for health info online were to learn about their health condition (50%) and available treatment options (35%). Learning about health problems and researching treatments allow patients to become partners with their doctors as they discuss treatment options.

% of total

Primary Reason that Patients Search for HealthInformation Online According to HealthcareProfessionals* in North America, March 2012

To learn about their health condition50%

To learn about available treatment options35%

To learn about a medication6%

Other5%

Unknown4%

Note: *health education specialists, nurse practitioners, registereddietitians, nurses, certified diabetes educators, patient educators, publichealth professionals and social workersSource: HealthEd Academy, "Healthcare Extender Lens," July 26, 2012143924 www.eMarketer.com

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Publisher Wolters Kluwer Health found in March 2012 that across all demographic segments, the No. 1 reason people used the internet to seek health information was because they wanted to be better informed about a condition before they visited their physician.

The Wolters Kluwer data pointed up some differences among age groups. Younger users, accustomed to accessing content for free and on demand, were more likely than other groups to cite that kind of accessibility as a reason to go online for medical information.


Reasons for Using the Internet vs. Visiting a Doctor toSeek Medical Information According to US Consumers, by Age, March 2012

To be informed about a condition before doctor's visit

Accessibility (free, no office wait times)

Internet offers more opinions and treatment optionsInternet provides just as soundmedical adviceWould never rely on the internet to diagnose or to treat an illness

18-34

47%

38%

24%

14%

35%

35-54

53%

24%

23%

9%

39%

55+

43%

23%

20%

18%

51%

Total

48%

29%

23%

13%

41%

Source: Wolters Kluwer Health, "Q1 Poll: Self-Diagnosis," May 16, 2012142798 www.eMarketer.com

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Wolters Kluwer also found that a majority of consumers (67%) believed that online medical information had made them better-informed consumers of healthcare. Only 25% said it had no impact, and a very small percentage, 3%, said it made them less informed. The results suggest a significant level of trust in the information being accessed online.

% of total

Impact of Access to Online Medical InformationAccording to US Consumers, March 2012

Better informed67%

Less informed3%

Misinformed4%

No impact25%

Don't know1%

Note: ages 18+Source: Wolters Kluwer Health, "Q1 Poll: Self-Diagnosis," May 16, 2012142796 www.eMarketer.com

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When it comes to finding specific health information—in this case prescription drug information—US internet users turned to general health sites (66%), but also to nonprofit or government sites (66%), according to a survey by publisher Rodale Inc. Interestingly, Wikipedia was a popular resource for prescription drug information for 44% of respondents, despite the fact that many pharmaceutical companies have chosen not to post information on Wikipedia because of regulatory and legal considerations.


% of respondents

Most Useful Sites for Online Prescription MedicineInformation According to US Internet Users, May 2012

General health site66%

Nonprofit or government site66%

Wikipedia44%

Rx brand site44%

Patient community sites40%

Medicine rating site36%

Video site (such as YouTube)32%

Health forums, message boards31%

Social networking site (such as Facebook)20%

Health blog20%

Note: among respondents who go online for prescription medicineinformationSource: Rodale Inc., "2012 Direct to Consumer Survey, Wave 15," July 18,2012145603 www.eMarketer.com

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According to Experian Hitwise, the top online health sites by share of US internet user site visits in December 2012 were WebMD and Yahoo! Health. Both consistently were among the top health websites throughout 2012.

Top 10 Health and Medical Websites Among USInternet Users, Ranked by Market Share of Visits, Dec 2012

1. WebMD 9.6%

2. Yahoo! Health 9.0%

3. Drugs.com 4.2%

4. MayoClinic.com 3.9%

5. Everyday Health 3.5%

6. Healthgrades 3.1%

7. MedicineNet 3.0%

8. QualityHealth.com2.0%

9. HealthHeadlines.com1.8%

10. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention1.4%

Source: Experian Hitwise as cited by Marketing Charts, Jan 8, 2013149999 www.eMarketer.com

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Information gathered online by health information seekers is used offline, particularly when those seekers are talking to their physicians. The Rodale survey found that the leading

sources of information for consumers when talking to their doctor about a specific condition were online health sites (50%), but trailing close behind were doctor office brochures (49%) and direct-to-consumer (DTC) ads (44%). Rodale’s results illustrate the multichannel nature of health information, showing that consumers are checking data online and referring to it with health professionals in person.

% of respondents

Select Information Sources US Consumers Use WhenTalking to Their Doctor About a Condition, May 2012

Online health sites 50%

Doctor office brochures 49%

DTC ads 44%

Magazines 42%

TV 42%

Pharma brand 36%

Health insurance 34%

Patient community sites 29%

Newspapers 29%

Note: among respondents who talked to their doctor about a conditionSource: Rodale Inc., "2012 Direct to Consumer Survey, Wave 15," July 18,2012145602 www.eMarketer.com

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A list of the top online conditions searched for by US consumers reflects the nation’s health concerns. Google reported that the three leading health conditions searched for in 2012 were cancer, diabetes and depression. According to Cancer Figures and Facts, it is estimated that 1.6 million new cases of cancer were diagnosed in the US in 2012. As for diabetes, the International Diabetes Federation estimates there were 24.1 million diabetics in the US in 2012, with another 6.7 million people thought to have undiagnosed diabetes.

Top 10 US Health Condition Search Terms on Google,Ranked by Search Volume, 2012

1. Cancer

2. Diabetes

3. Depression

4. Acne

5. Herpes

6. Back pain

7. Burns

8. Breast cancer

9. Autism

10. Diarrhea

Source: Google, Dec 11, 2012149757 www.eMarketer.com

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Google’s ranking of health-related search terms by health symptoms yields slightly different results, with the most common search in 2012 being symptoms of pregnancy, followed by symptoms of diabetes and flu. Since women are



the primary seekers of health information, it is not surprising that pregnancy was the leading health symptom search term.

Top 10 US Health Symptom Search Terms on Google,Ranked by Search Volume, 2012

1. Pregnancy symptoms

2. Diabetes symptoms

3. Flu symptoms

4. UTI symptoms

5. Mono symptoms

6. Strep throat symptoms

7. HIV symptoms

8. Lupus symptoms

9. Heart attack symptoms

10. Lyme disease symptoms

Source: Google, Dec 11, 2012149758 www.eMarketer.com

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The Role of Pharmaceutical Sites

Pharma product and disease-state websites play an important role in the search for online health information and can directly lead to patients asking for specific treatment options.

A June 2012 comScore report found that the primary reason consumers used pharma-sponsored websites was to find information about adverse effects or other information on specific prescription drugs. Some consumers also went to branded drug websites to get co-pay discount cards for their prescriptions.

The comScore data also showed a correlation between visits to branded prescription drug websites and lifts in both brand awareness and favorability. In fact, consumers who visited a branded website showed an increase in aided and unaided brand awareness.

Even though pharma-sponsored sites were being used for information specific to medications and their side effects, comScore also found that 23% of consumers were skeptical of the information on these websites and 16% were skeptical of information on government websites. comScore’s analysis was that consumers are becoming more and more aware of a treatment’s risk/benefit tradeoff.

Doctor Still Seems to Know Best

For all of the internet’s growth and its popularity as a source of health information, it’s not the primary source of health information upon which the majority of consumers in the US make healthcare decisions.

Consumers still believe their physician to be the most important source of healthcare information, according to Kantar Media data. In a survey of US consumers between January and April 2012, 78% cited physicians as an important source of information, while 60% cited traditional media. The internet ranked well below, at 41%. Still, that was a 7-point increase from 2008.

% of respondents

Healthcare Information Sources that Are Important toUS Consumers, 2008-2012

2008

76%

64%

34%

2009

77%

65%

39%

2010

78%

64%

40%

2011

77%

65%

40%

2012

78%

60%

41%

Healthcare professionals Traditional media Internet

Note: among respondents who chose "very important" and "somewhatimportant"Source: Kantar Media, "How Do They Really Feel? Consumers' Behaviorsand Attitudes Toward Healthcare Advertising," June 11, 2012146214 www.eMarketer.com

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Similarly, RxAlly, a network of community pharmacies in the US, found in September 2012 that the most trusted sources of information for US internet users when making healthcare decisions were doctors (72%). It’s worth noting that friends and family scored well above the internet in this survey.



% of respondents

Most Trusted Sources of Information When MakingHealthcare Decisions According to US Internet Users,Sep 2012

Doctors 72%

Friends/family 36%

Spouses or significant others 36%

Internet 22%

Pharmacists 18%

Note: ages 18+Source: RxAlly as cited in press release, Oct 9, 2012146840 www.eMarketer.com

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Even among those who look to the internet for health information, there is a desire for an “official” source. Deloitte reported in February 2012 that the web sites of physician groups or medical practices were US internet users’ most trusted sources for treatment information. That was followed by academic medical and teaching hospitals that maintain health information sites for consumers. Social sites and blogs, as well as general health sites, scored far lower on trustworthiness.

% of respondents

Sources that US Internet Users Trust for TreatmentInformation on a Health Condition, Feb 2012

Physician group/medical practice

Academic medical centers/teaching hospitals

Medical associations/societiesCommunity hospitalsPharmacies

US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

Independent health-related websites

US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

State Departments of Health and Human Services

Health insurance companies/health plans

Internet search engines/general reference sites

Pharmaceutical, biotech or medical device/product manufacturers

Employers (e.g., health benefits office, human resources office)

Blogs or websites that address specific health issues or connectpeople with similar health conditions

Social networking sites

44%

38%

37%30%27%

26%

24%

22%

22%

14%

14%

12%

12%

11%

5%

Note: 8-10 on a 10-point scale where 10 is "completely trust"Source: Deloitte, "2012 Survey of US Health Care Consumers: Five-YearLook Back," Dec 14, 2012150772 www.eMarketer.com

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Conclusions

As the cost of doctor visits continues to increase, the internet is becoming increasingly important for seekers of health-related information. However, healthcare professionals remain the principal source of credible health information and treatment options. eMarketer expects the use of digital media will play a more significant role over time, as consumers become more web savvy and older users take a more active role in their healthcare.

Women are the primary users of online health information. As the self-professed healthcare managers of their families, moms are especially high users. Whether moms or not, women tend to be more proactive when it comes to researching healthcare online and spend more time than men researching health on the internet.

Online seekers of health information tend to be better educated. Because of the complexity and abundance of health information online, consumers with some degree of higher education search for health information online more than those who have never been to college.

The primary reason that patients search for health information online is to learn about specific health conditions and treatment options. Patients want to maximize their time with their doctor when discussing their healthcare, and the internet has an important part to play in that discussion. Patients, though, still trust physicians to recommend what is best for them.

Health sites are the No. 1 destination for seekers of health information online. However, pharma firms’ product websites also play an important role in driving treatment recommendations, and physicians’ sites are considered the most credible.

Caregivers have special needs when it comes to online health information. They want information on medical insurance, how to live with chronic conditions, and topics like balancing work and their responsibilities as caregivers.

Doctor Still Seems to Know Best


eMarketer Interviews

Mobile is the ‘Remote Control’ for Online Health Information

Erin Byrne Executive Vice President, Managing Partner and Chief Engagement Officer

Grey Healthcare Group Interview conducted on January 18, 2013

Mobile, Social Rejuvenate Online Health Searching

Kate Drummond Media Partner

Greater Than One Interview conducted on January 25, 2013

Jan Dunlop Manager of Marketing Services

Drugs.com Interview conducted on January 15, 2013

Paul Wager Chief Operating Officer

Drugs.com Interview conducted on January 15, 2013

Related eMarketer Reports

The Mobile-Social Mom: Speeding the Trend Toward ‘Mobile First’

Related Links

AARP American Academy of Family Physicians BabyCenter Cancer Figures and Facts comScore Inc. Deloitte Employee Benefit Research Institute Enspektos Experian Hitwise Family Caregiver Alliance Google Harris Interactive HealthEd Academy International Diabetes Foundation Kantar Media Loyola University Media Center Manhattan Research National Center for Health Statistics Network of Libraries of Medicine Pew Internet & American Life Project Rodale Inc. RxAlly Smith & Jones US Census Bureau Wolters Kluwer Health

Editorial and Production Contributors

Cliff Annicelli Senior EditorKaitlin Carlin Copy EditorJoanne DiCamillo Senior Production ArtistStephanie Gehrsitz Senior Production ArtistDana Hill Director of ProductionNicole Perrin Associate Editorial DirectorAllie Smith Director of Charts

http://totalaccess.emarketer.com/Interview.aspx?R=6000975

http://totalaccess.emarketer.com/Interview.aspx?R=6000974

http://totalaccess.emarketer.com/Reports/Viewer.aspx?R=2000977

http://www.aarp.org

http://www.aafp.org

http://www.babycenter.com

http://www.cancer.org

http://www.comscore.com

http://www.deloitte.com

http://www.ebri.org

http://www.enspektos.com

http://www.experian.com/hitwise/

http://www.caregiver.org

http://www.google.com

http://www.harrisinteractive.com/

http://healthed.com/

http://www.idf.org

http://kantarmediana.com/

http://www.luc.edu/

http://www.manhattanresearch.com

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/

http://www.nnlm.gov

http://www.pewinternet.org/

http://www.rodaleinc.com

http://rxally.com/

http://www.smithandjones.com

http://www.census.gov/

http://www.wolterskluwerhealth.com

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