• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, May 14, 2002

The results of a Harris Interactive telephone survey of a nationwide sample of adults online from home, office, school, library or some other location, conducted in March, indicate that 110 million "cyberchondriacs" search the Web for health care information three times a month. The Harris research finds that 80% of all adults who are online (53% of all adults) sometimes use the Internet to look for health care information. However, only 18% say they do this "often," while most do so "sometimes" (35%), or "hardly ever" (27%). This 80% of all those online amounts to 110 million cyberchondriacs nationwide. This com-pares with 54 million in 1998, 69 million in 1999 and 97 million last year.

Frequency of Accessing Health Care Information Online: 1998-2002

Almost half look for health care information once a month or less. A slender majority (53%) of those who look for health care information do so using a portal or search engine which allows them to search for the health information they want across many different websites. About a quarter (26%) goes directly to a site that focuses only on health-related topics and one in eight (12%) visits first a general site that may offer a section on health issues.

The Internet is also particularly useful to those with poor access to medical services and those who have trouble getting the care they need.

Demographic profile of people who have looked for health information online

AGE
- 18 – 29....82%
- 30 – 39....68%
- 40 – 49....63%
- 50 – 64....49%
- 65 +....26%

SEX
- Male....59%
- Female....60%

EDUCATION
- High School or less....49%
- Some College....63%
- College graduate....75%
- Post graduate....84%

INCOME
- Less than $15,000....50%
- $15,000 to $24,999....45%
- $25,000 to $34,999....55%
- $35,000 to $49,999....53%
- $50,000 to $75,999....67%
- $75,000 and over....77%

You can find the PDF report here.