How Health Status Impacts the Types of Health Information Consumers Seek Online.

A few studies examine what types of health information people seek online, yet we know little about how this varies by health status. We used data collected from a random sample of 2,038 adults for the Pew Internet and American Life Project, which asked respondents whether they searched for sixteen different types of information. To build on prior literature, we used two measures of health status--a self-report and the presence of a medical condition. Our data suggest that health status impacts the types of medical information people seek on the Internet. Self-reported health status was not significantly related to any of the topics; however, respondents diagnosed with a disability or chronic disease were more likely to seek medical information on thirteen of the sixteen topics addressed. These include specific diseases or medical conditions, medical treatments or procedures, experimental treatments or medicines, alternative treatments or medicines, pharmaceutical and over-the-counter drugs, diet, immunizations, smoking cessation, depression, sexual health, environmental health hazards, a particular physician or hospital, and Medicare/Medicaid. The Internet can provide sick consumers with a wealth of information on issues of health and illness, yet health care providers need to educate consumers to be cautious given the range in quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]