Mobile phones may do everything except pick up the clothes from the cleaners (and they can probably get them delivered to you, anyway,) but people still pick the PC to get access to health information on the Web, according to a new report.
A new national survey conducted by Makovsky Health and Kelton found that 90 percent of respondents preferred PCs to smartphones (seven percent) or tablet (four percent) – to search for health information online.
Consumers still prefer credible sources when searching for health information, but surprisingly, user-generated content on Wikipedia is gaining high levels of trust. It even led the survey for most used online source for healthcare data. Over half said they used WebMD, one of the most popular sources for health news (mainly because the information is written in clear, simple, straightforward prose), and nearly one-third visit online health magazine websites such as Prevention and Women’s Health.
Another surprise: social networking sites are used by far less people to get their health information, with Facebook leading the pack at a measly 17 percent, followed by YouTube (15 percent), blogs (13 percent), and Twitter feeds with links to other resources (6 percent.
When it comes to pharmaceuticals, people mostly look to their friends or family for a trusted website, at 33 percent, but TV advertisements aren’t far behind, at 27 percent, while magazine advertisements (14 percent), digital advertisements (13 percent), or discounts (16 percent) bring up the rear.
Another interesting factlet: women are more likely than men to do research before filing a prescription. “Whether they want guidance for an informed conversation with their doctor, or the support of a larger community coping with the same illness, consumers seek trusted sources for health information,” said Gil Bashe, executive vice president and practice director, Makovsky Health, in a statement. “With new and evolving access points, understanding the consumer mindset is critical to supporting improved health outcomes. These new survey results enhance our understanding of how and with whom consumers connect online, and help ensure that credible, useful information is readily accessible to the patients who need it.”
Edited by
Amanda Ciccatelli
