Nearly three out of four Internet users with chronic conditions or disabilities said that they search online for information about a specific diseases or medical problems, according to participants in a Pew Internet & American Life Project survey.
Sixty-four percent of survey respondents reported searching online for information specific medical treatments or procedures, and 51% of respondents searched online for information on prescription or over-the-counter drugs. The survey also found that 42% of Internet users with chronic conditions or disabilities searched online for information on alternative treatments or medications, while 33% searched online for information on a specific physician or hospital.
About half of survey respondents with a chronic disease or disability reported using the Internet, compared with 74% of respondents without a chronic condition. However, 86% of Internet users with a chronic condition or disability looked online for information on at least one of 17 health topics, compared with 79% of Internet users with no chronic conditions, according to the survey.
Fifty-three percent of Internet users with chronic conditions said their last online search was in relation to their own health questions, compared with 33% of Internet users without chronic conditions. The survey also found that three out of four Internet users with a chronic condition report that the information they found in their last online search affected a decision about how to treat an illness or condition, compared with 55% of Internet users without a chronic condition or disability.
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