As in past surveys, we asked respondents to think about the last time they went online for health or medical information, hoping to capture a portrait of a typical health search.⁸

Fifty-three percent of e-patients with chronic conditions say their last search was related to their own health or medical situation. Twenty-nine percent of e-patients with chronic conditions say their last search was on behalf of someone else. Thirteen percent of e-patients with chronic conditions volunteered that their last search was both for themselves and for someone else.

By contrast, e-patients with no chronic conditions are likely to be acting in a caregiver role, gathering information on behalf of someone else. Fifty-one percent of e-patients with no chronic conditions say the last time they went online for health or medical information, their quest was related to someone else’s situation; 7% say their last search was for both themselves and for someone else. Thirty-three percent of health seekers say their last search was in relation to their own health or medical situation.