Americans See Internet as Response to Health Insurance Crisis, New Kaiser Permanente Survey Says; Cancer Found to be Greater Health Concern than Heart Disease or Obesity.

Business Editors/Health/Medical Writers

OAKLAND, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 26, 2004

With millions of Americans out of work and without health care coverage, a sizeable majority of consumers regard the Internet as an important and varied health resource.

So reports a new nationwide survey, conducted in December by market research firm Synovate for Kaiser Permanente, America's largest not-for-profit health care organization. The survey asked 1,000 Americans, "If you were out of work and/or lacked health care coverage, how would you regard the role of the Internet in dealing with health matters?"

Overall, 62 percent say they would turn to the Internet for help. Among that population, 18 percent most prefer the Web for referrals to relevant community health services, while 16 percent would use the Internet to both research and treat non-urgent conditions. Another 14.5 percent would look for a reliable, free online source of medical information. Nearly 13 percent would use the Net to research but not treat routine maladies.

Kaiser Permanente's health issues survey also probed attitudes about the health condition that most concerns Americans, and found cancer overwhelmingly the top concern. Although obesity was recently identified as the nation's new top health risk -- affecting some 190 million Americans -- 31.5 percent cited cancer, followed by heart disease (19 percent), being overweight (15.2 percent) and diabetes (15 percent). A small number also identified arthritis and high blood pressure. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, six of 10 Americans are either overweight or obese, and the prevalence of obesity almost doubled from about 15 percent in 1980 to 27 percent in 1999.

The release of the survey findings coincides with the national launch of Kaiser Permanente's new Web site (www.kaiserpermanente.org), which serves as a virtual public service, providing all consumers -- whether or not they are Kaiser Permanente members -- with access to trusted, up-to-date, physician-approved health care information.

"We're facing a crisis today -- too many Americans lack adequate health insurance, or any health insurance at all, whether or not they're currently employed," said Kate Christensen MD, Medical Director, Kaiser Permanente Internet Services Group. "Our survey reveals a population open to and in need of support in matters of health care and health insurance. We're encouraged that consumers across the country are increasingly turning to the Internet for their information needs, and are going well beyond -- exploring treatment options, community resources and professional services, all through the online medium. Over time, the Internet population will grow even more sophisticated in matters of health, and that can only help address the ongoing crisis."

Web's Value as Health Resource in Flux

Wide regional disparities exist in how the Internet is viewed and used. Overall, consumers in the West (68 percent) are more likely to turn to the Net than those in any other region; Midwesterners (52 percent) are least inclined. Those in the South (20 percent) are relatively more likely to rely on the Internet to pinpoint community services, while those in the West (23 percent) are significantly more interested in using the Net to both research and treat non-urgent conditions. Those in the Northeast (21 percent) prefer to use the Net to get a reliable, free online source of medical information.

Employment status figures prominently in how Americans view the Internet. Perhaps speaking to the reach of the Medicare program, retirees are least likely to go to the Net (45 percent), while part time workers (70 percent) are most likely. Interestingly, those employed fulltime are somewhat more likely to seek out health resources on the Web (66 percent) than those out of work (61 percent). And although the survey probed responses to the hypothetical of lacking health insurance and/or a job, those in the highest income bracket were most amenable to going online (74 percent); those least affluent were most reluctant (just 52 percent) to do so.

The younger you are, the more you expect to go online for health matters: 74 percent of those 18 to 24 are likely to check out the Internet; the numbers hold steady for those 25-34 and 35-44 (about 70 percent each), dipping to 62 percent of those 45-54, 56 percent of the 55-64 group and to only 33 percent of those over 65. The reluctance among seniors to use the Net is strongest when it comes to actually treating non-urgent conditions (about 6 percent). Those over 65 are most open to using the Net to tap into community health services (16 percent).

According to the survey, non-whites (66 percent) are more likely to head for the Internet than whites (61 percent) in health-related matters. Finally, Internet usage is clearly linked to level of education -- high school grads are relatively less likely to take advantage of the Web's health resources (51 percent), with college graduates more likely at 67 percent and post-graduates most likely to do so (75 percent).

Genders Split on Weight Issue

When asked what single health condition causes the greatest concern, the genders split most significantly on the issue of weight: women are significantly more concerned about potential obesity than men (20 percent to 10 percent). The tables are turned -- albeit less dramatically -- for cancer (32 percent for men, 30 percent for women) and heart disease (21 percent for men, 17 percent for women).

On the matter of biggest health worry, regional differences again emerged, with those in the South most concerned about cancer (34 percent) and Midwesterners least concerned (27 percent) -- although Midwesterners are more concerned about heart disease (21 percent) than those in the other regions. Southerners are relatively more concerned about being overweight (17.4 percent), Westerners least concerned (11 percent).

Concerns about becoming overweight peak for those in the 35-44 bracket (21 percent); cancer concerns are most acute for those 25-34 (36 percent); not surprisingly, heart disease most troubles those over 65 (27 percent), but those 45-54 aren't far behind (24 percent). Cancer concerns are significantly more prevalent among those who are married (35 percent) than those who aren't (27 percent).

Diabetes is the only condition where the level of concern varies by race: non-whites are more concerned than whites (17.5 percent to 14.5). Diabetes concerns plague young and old alike -- the 18-24 group (19 percent) lags its elders (those 55-64, at 21 percent) only slightly.

"Clearly, the best means of addressing any health concern is with access to reliable information," said Dr. Christensen. "Our findings around these disease-related concerns underscore the emerging role of the Internet in empowering consumers with access to the very best professional resources and up-to-date, physician-approved information."

About Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente is America's leading integrated health care program. Founded in 1945, it is a not-for-profit, multi-specialty, group-practice prepayment program serving the health care needs of 8.4 million members in 9 states and the District of Columbia with headquarters in Oakland, Calif. Kaiser Permanente has research centers in 8 regions around the United States and publication of KP investigators' work has appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the New England Journal of Medicine, Pediatrics, the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, and other peer-reviewed medical journals.