This report sets out to illuminate the different ways people seek health information as well as how people use online social tools to share knowledge with loved ones, fellow patients, and caregivers.

When asked to think about the last time they had a health issue, 71% of adults in the U.S. say they received information, care, or support from a health professional. Fifty-five percent of adults say they received such help from friends and family. Twenty-one percent of adults say they turned to others who have the same health condition for information, care, or suppport. The vast majority of respondents say those interactions happened offline.

However, three-quarters of U.S. adults (74%) use the internet and, of those, many participate in an online conversation about health. For example:

• 80% of internet users have looked online for information about any one of 15 health topics such as a specific disease or treatment. This translates to 59% of all adults.
• 34% of internet users have read someone else’s commentary or experience about health or medical issues on an online news group, website, or blog.
• 14% of internet users have signed up to receive email updates or alerts about health or medical issues.
• 6% of internet users have posted comments, questions or information about health or medical issues on a website of some kind, such as a health site or news site that allows comments and discussion.
• 5% of internet users have posted health-related comments, questions, or information in an online discussion, a listserv, or other online group forum.
• 4% of internet users have posted such comments, questions or information on a blog.

These findings are similar to those we reported in 2009.

This survey is the first time we collected the following data point: 

• 25% of internet users have watched an online video about health or medical issues.

Internet users living with one or more chronic conditions are more likely than those who report no conditions to have done three of the above activities: 37% have read someone else’s health commentary online (vs. 31% of those reporting no chronic conditions), 31% have watched a health video online (vs. 22% of those reporting no chronic conditions), and 23% have signed up to receive email updates about certain health topics (vs. 9% of those reporting no chronic conditions).

Wireless users outpace other internet users on every one of the above activities by significant margins. For example, 37% of wireless users have read about someone else’s health experience online, compared with 24% of other internet users. Twenty-seven percent of wireless users have watched an online health video, compared with 21% of other users.