Online Health Search Trends from Pew Internet Project

The Online Health Search 2006 Report from the Pew Internet Project has just been released.  It's a must read as usual.  Here are some highlights:

• Most internet users start at a general search engine when researching health and medical advice online.
• Three-quarters of internet users who look online for such advice do not consistently check the source and date of the information they find which translates to about 85 million Americans gathering health advice online without consistently examining the quality indicators of the information they find. Just 15% of health seekers say they “always” check the source and date of the health information they find online, while another 10% say they do so “most of the time.”
• Eighty percent of American internet users, or some 113 million adults, have searched for information on at least one of seventeen health topics.
• Most health seekers say they are pleased about what they find online, but some are frustrated or confused.