These findings show that, with every passing year, more and more people are using the Internet to look for health information and that the overwhelming majority of these Cyberchondriacs are finding what they want online.
TABLE 1
CYBERCHONDRIACS: TRENDS 1998-2010
Base: All U.S. adults
| |
1998
|
1999
|
2001
|
2003
|
2004
|
2005
|
2006
|
2007
|
2008
|
2009
|
2010
|
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
|
All adults who are online*
|
38
|
46
|
63
|
67
|
69
|
74
|
77
|
79
|
76
|
79
|
79
|
|
All online adults who have ever looked online for health information
|
71
|
74
|
75
|
78
|
74
|
72
|
80
|
84
|
81
|
78
|
88
|
|
All adults who have ever looked online for health information
|
27
|
34
|
47
|
52
|
51
|
53
|
61
|
71
|
66
|
67
|
76
|
|
All adults who have looked online for health information in last month
|
NA
|
NA
|
27
|
NA
|
31
|
45
|
51
|
53
|
50
|
52
|
62
|
|
All adults who have ever looked online for health information
+ (millions)
|
54
|
69
|
97
|
109
|
111
|
117
|
136
|
160
|
150
|
154
|
175
|
*Includes those online from home, office, school, library or other location
+ Based on July 2008 U.S. Census estimate released January 2009 (230,100,000 total U.S. adults aged 18 or over).
NA = Not Asked
TABLE 2
FREQUENCY OF ACCESSING HEALTH INFORMATION ONLINE: 1998-2010
"How often do you look for information online about health topics - often, sometimes, hardly ever or never?"
Base: All U.S. adults who are online*
| |
1998
|
1999
|
2001
|
2003
|
2004
|
2005
|
2006
|
2007
|
2008
|
2009
|
2010
|
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
|
Often
|
12
|
13
|
16
|
17
|
19
|
25
|
21
|
26
|
25
|
22
|
32
|
|
Sometimes
|
30
|
30
|
30
|
37
|
31
|
33
|
40
|
40
|
38
|
35
|
41
|
|
Hardly ever
|
29
|
31
|
30
|
23
|
24
|
14
|
19
|
18
|
17
|
21
|
15
|
|
Never
|
29
|
26
|
25
|
22
|
26
|
29
|
20
|
16
|
19
|
22
|
11
|
|
Total who have looked for health or medical information sometimes or often (NET)
|
42
|
43
|
46
|
54
|
50
|
58
|
61
|
66
|
64
|
57
|
73
|
|
Total who have ever looked for health or medical information (NET)
|
71
|
74
|
75
|
78
|
74
|
72
|
80
|
84
|
81
|
78
|
88
|
Note: Percentages may not add up exactly to 100% due to rounding
*Includes those online from home, office, school, library or other location
TABLE 3
FREQUENCY OF LOOKING FOR HEALTH INFORMATION IN LAST MONTH: 2001-2010
"About how many times have you looked for information online about health topics in the last month?"
Base: Have ever looked for health information online
| |
2001
|
2003
|
2004
|
2005
|
2006
|
2007
|
2008
|
2009
|
2010
|
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
|
Not once
|
40
|
NA
|
21
|
14
|
23
|
26
|
25
|
22
|
17
|
|
1 or more (NET)
|
58
|
NA
|
60
|
85
|
76
|
74
|
75
|
77
|
81
|
|
1 or 2 times
|
29
|
NA
|
26
|
31
|
35
|
30
|
31
|
33
|
33
|
|
3 - 5 times
|
17
|
NA
|
14
|
29
|
23
|
21
|
25
|
21
|
26
|
|
6 - 9 times
|
3
|
NA
|
5
|
6
|
5
|
8
|
5
|
6
|
6
|
|
10 or more times
|
9
|
NA
|
15
|
19
|
14
|
16
|
14
|
18
|
17
|
|
Not sure
|
2
|
NA
|
19
|
1
|
1
|
*
|
*
|
1
|
2
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mean (average)
|
3.0
|
NA
|
5.1
|
6.8
|
5.2
|
5.7
|
4.8
|
5.4
|
6.0
|
|
Median
|
1.1
|
NA
|
2.0
|
3.0
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
Note: Percentages may not add up exactly to 100% due to rounding.
NA = Not asked in 2003
TABLE 4
Success in Searching for Information Online about Health Topics: 2005-2010
"How successful were you in your search for information online about health topics? Were you…?"
Base: Have ever looked for health information online
| |
2005
|
2006
|
2007
|
2008
|
2009
|
2010
|
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
|
SUCCESSFUL (NET)
|
89
|
88
|
88
|
89
|
83
|
86
|
|
Very successful
|
46
|
42
|
37
|
41
|
45
|
41
|
|
Somewhat successful
|
43
|
46
|
50
|
48
|
38
|
45
|
|
Neither successful nor unsuccessful
|
2
|
4
|
5
|
3
|
5
|
4
|
|
UNSUCCESSFUL (NET)
|
6
|
7
|
6
|
4
|
9
|
9
|
|
Somewhat unsuccessful
|
3
|
4
|
3
|
2
|
4
|
6
|
|
Very unsuccessful
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
2
|
4
|
3
|
|
Not sure/Decline to answer
|
3
|
1
|
1
|
4
|
4
|
2
|
Note: Percentages may not add up exactly to 100% due to rounding.
TABLE 5
Reliability of Searching for Information Online about Health Topics: 2005-2010
"How reliable do you believe this information is concerning health topics? Is it…?"
Base: Have ever looked for health information online
| |
2005
|
2006
|
2007
|
2008
|
2009
|
2010
|
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
|
RELIABLE (NET)
|
90
|
87
|
86
|
86
|
87
|
85
|
|
Very reliable
|
37
|
25
|
26
|
24
|
28
|
23
|
|
Somewhat reliable
|
53
|
61
|
60
|
62
|
59
|
62
|
|
Neither reliable nor unreliable
|
4
|
7
|
6
|
5
|
4
|
5
|
|
UNRELIABLE (NET )
|
5
|
5
|
7
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
|
Somewhat unreliable
|
3
|
5
|
6
|
4
|
4
|
5
|
|
Very unreliable
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
2
|
|
Not sure/Decline to answer
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
3
|
2
|
2
|
Note: Percentages may not add up exactly to 100% due to rounding.
TABLE 6
Discussion with Doctor About Information Found Online: 2005-2010
"In the past year, have you ever discussed with your doctor the information you found online?"
Base: Have ever looked for health information online
| |
2005
|
2006
|
2007
|
2008
|
2009
|
2010
|
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
|
Yes (NET)
|
57
|
52
|
58
|
47
|
44
|
53
|
|
Yes, always do
|
15
|
13
|
12
|
13
|
7
|
14
|
|
Yes, sometimes do
|
25
|
21
|
22
|
15
|
22
|
25
|
|
Yes, have done once or twice
|
18
|
19
|
24
|
19
|
15
|
15
|
|
No, never do
|
43
|
48
|
42
|
53
|
56
|
46
|
|
Not sure/Decline to answer
|
*
|
*
|
*
|
*
|
*
|
*
|
Note: Percentages may not add up exactly to 100% due to rounding
* Less than 0.5 percent.
TABLE 7
Frequency of Searching Medical Information Online Based on
Discussion with Doctor: 2005-2010
"Have you ever searched for medical information on the Internet based on a discussion with your doctor?"
Base: Have ever looked for health information online
| |
2005
|
2006
|
2007
|
2008
|
2009
|
2010
|
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
|
Yes (NET)
|
52
|
45
|
55
|
49
|
49
|
51
|
|
Yes, often
|
17
|
14
|
17
|
12
|
14
|
17
|
|
Yes, sometimes
|
36
|
31
|
38
|
38
|
35
|
35
|
|
No, never
|
48
|
55
|
45
|
50
|
51
|
49
|
|
Not sure/Decline to answer
|
*
|
*
|
*
|
*
|
*
|
*
|
Note: Percentages may not add up exactly to 100% due to rounding
* Less than 0.5 percent.
Methodology
This Harris Poll® was conducted by telephone within the United States between July 13 and 18, 2010 among 1,066 adults (aged 18 and over). Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region, number of adults in the household, number of phone lines in the household were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population.
All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including sampling error, coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments. Therefore, Harris Interactive avoids the words "margin of error" as they are misleading. All that can be calculated are different possible sampling errors with different probabilities for pure, unweighted, random samples with 100% response rates. These are only theoretical because no published polls come close to this ideal.
These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.
The results of this Harris Poll may not be used in advertising, marketing or promotion without the prior written permission of Harris Interactive.
J38512
Q705, 710, 715, 720, 725, 730
The Harris Poll ® #95, August 4, 2010
By Humphrey Taylor, Chairman, The Harris Poll, Harris Interactive
About Harris Interactive
Harris Interactive is one of the world's leading custom market research firms, leveraging research, technology, and business acumen to transform relevant insight into actionable foresight. Known widely for the Harris Poll and for pioneering innovative research methodologies, Harris offers expertise in a wide range of industries including healthcare, technology, public affairs, energy, telecommunications, financial services, insurance, media, retail, restaurant, and consumer package goods. Serving clients in over 215 countries and territories through our North American, European, and Asian offices and a network of independent market research firms, Harris specializes in delivering research solutions that help us - and our clients - stay ahead of what's next. For more information, please visit www.harrisinteractive.com.