Pew Online Health Report 2006

Just out, The Pew Internet & American Life Project's latest report: Online Health Search 2006. Written by the Project's Associate Director, Susannah Fox, the Report is based on a telephone survey of 2,928 adults, aged 18 and older, conducted August 1-31, 2006.

The report includes some of these key findings as reported in the site's press release: Eighty percent of American internet users, or some 113 million adults, have searched for information on at least one of seventeen health topics. Most internet users start at a general search engine when researching health and medical advice online. 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.” Fully three-quarters of health seekers say they check the source and date “only sometimes,” “hardly ever,” or “never,” which translates to about 85 million Americans gathering health advice online without consistently examining the quality indicators of the information they find. Most health seekers are pleased about what they find online, but some are frustrated or confused.

This 22-page report can be read in full at the site. A pdf of the questionnaire is also available. Other reports on blogging, Web 2.0 technology, home broadband adoption, among others are also available.