• by Laurie Sullivan , Staff Writer @lauriesullivan, February 4, 2011

The Internet has become a resource for Americans seeking answers to health-related questions. Similar to researching products before purchase, consumers research ailments and cures as well as the reputations of doctors before and after seeking advice. The move online also has spurred mobile applications and Facebook pharmacies.  

In fact, 80% of U.S. Internet consumers research health information online, making it the third most popular online activity -- following email and using a search engine, according to Pew Internet Project report.

Fifty-six percent of Internet users look online for information about a certain medical treatment or procedure. Women are more likely than men to report gathering health information online. Caregivers, women, whites, younger adults, and adults with at least some college education are the most likely to look online to answer health-related questions. African-Americans, Latinos, people living with disability, older adults, and adults with a high school education or less are the most unlikely.

Those who seek health information online are typically facing a serious medical emergency or crisis in the past year -- either their own or that of someone close to them. Surprisingly, people who have experienced significant change in their physical health in the past year -- such as gaining or losing a lot of weight, becoming pregnant, or quitting smoking -- do not report a higher rate of health information-seeking compared with others.

The most commonly searched-for treatments on WebMD in 2010 were pain relievers, antidepressants, high blood pressure medication, corticosteroids, hysterectomy, diabetes medication, ADHD medication, antibiotics, colonoscopy, and cholesterol-lowering medication.

Recalls information also has become popular at WebMD. Twenty-nine percent of Internet users seek information about food safety or recalls, and 24% seek information about drug safety or recalls.

Americans also have begun to adopt social networking and mobile platforms to research healthcare issues. Twenty-four percent of U.S. online consumers told Forrester Research they engage in some form of health-related social media at least once monthly.

Healthcare companies are paying attention. Adgregate Markets, which supports secure social commerce on Facebook, said drugstore.com -- an online retailer of health and beauty products -- and its subsidiary site, Beauty.com, will use its product ShopFans to enable secure social shopping on their Facebook pages.

Adgregate points to Drugstore.com as the first major health and beauty retailer to enable their Facebook friends to shop directly in the Facebook environment.

The Cleveland Clinic used Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to build both new awareness and stronger relationships among existing customers, and Blue Shield of California is building a repository of customer reviews and linking members to experts.

A Forrester poll of U.S. online consumers reveals that most employers do not offer mobile services. Consumers use mobile services when they do. The research firm, however, says health plans are creating mobile services that span administrative, health access, and health improvement capabilities. RehabCare, for example, will offer iPhone and iPad apps to streamline employee workflow and improve patient communication -- another reason to consider mobile marketing and advertising.