Overview

In December 2002, we asked telephone interview respondents if they had done searches for a number of specific health and medical topics, e.g., “Have you ever looked online for information about exercise or fitness? For information about immunizations or vaccinations?” Eighty percent of adult Internet users, or almost half of Americans over the age of 18 (about 93 million), say they have researched at least one of those specific health topics at some point. 30% of email users have sent or received health-related email. Women, better-educated, and more experienced Internet users are more likely to search for health information and exchange health-related email. In addition to the telephone survey, nearly 2,000 Internet users answered 20 short-answer questions in an online survey about whether they use the Internet to research symptoms, email loved ones, connect to online support groups, and communicate with their doctors. Many of their stories, insights, and questions are detailed in this report.