Medical advice is top reason for Internet searches

Medical Marketing and Media, Jan 2001

> An estimated 52 million Americans have used the Internet to obtain medical and health information, more than for any other purpose, according to a study by The Pew Internet and American Life Project.

About 41 percent of the 12,000 people polled said that material found during their most recent online search affected decisions on whether to go to the doctor, how to treat an illness, and what questions to ask. Most people searched the Internet widely and obtained material from many sites, showing the need for some guidance to reliable information.

Privacy on the Internet was a concern expressed, with 53 percent of respondents opposed to keeping medical records online.