Managing Health on the Internet: Lots of Looking, Little Action

[Richard Corcoran]

The interesting news is that up to 80% of Americans use the Internet to search for health information. More interesting, at least to me, is that so few of these internet-savvy people use the Web to actually do something to manage their own care - such as scheduling doctor appointments or filling prescriptions. Even fewer use provider ratings information to make choices about doctors or hospitals.

A new California Healthcare Foundation (CHCF) sponsored survey of California consumers is filled with intriguing charts, graphs, and findings related to how people in that state use the internet to manage their own care. For example, 56% of respondents sought out information about medical conditions or prescription drugs, but only 13% made appointments online, while only 12% filled prescriptions online. Of the 25-30% who checked out on-line provider ratings, only 1-2% actually made a change based on the ratings. Click here (http://www.chcf.org/documents/healthit/ConsumerInternetUse.pdf) to view.

Go figure. Wonder what this survey might reveal in New York and elsewhere??

[dhowell]

I think this just reflects the fact that most of the internet savy people are those that are less than 60 yrs old and that they have fairly good health as evidenced by the small number of online prescriptions being filed...today a large number of insurance companies mandate routine prescritions be filled either online or by mail, not at your local drugstore. Also people still want the reassurance of a face to face conversation with their doctor or pharmacist and if they like them, the heck with ratings. I have consistently found that some of the worst MDs as to clinical results, if they have a good bedside manner and good relationship with their patients, are the ones who get the best PR. It's about the person to person rapport. And as to checking out a hospital online, for most people their only choice is their local hospital so they don't care about checking the ratings. And as I said in the beginning, the internet savy consumers are usually less than 60 years with generally good health, it's the over 60 year old crowd with many illnesses and tons of medications who don't and can't use the computer and internet...and it would help them the most..