Consumers Skeptical Of Health Information On Internet.

Business Editors &Health/Medical Writers

ANN ARBOR, Mich.--(BW HealthWire)--Feb. 3, 2000

A survey of Southeast Michigan consumers reveals that only 29 percent of those surfing the Internet have a high level of trust in the health information they find there.

Fully 59 percent indicated they have only a fair amount of trust in what they find.

&uot;The Internet can be an excellent communication vehicle for healthcare organizations and employers to use in sharing information with members and employees,&uot; said Dennis J. Becker, senior vice president at The MEDSTAT Group. &uot;But like any tool, it must be used correctly to obtain maximum value and our survey shows that it has not reached its full potential yet.&uot;

One-third of consumers surveyed used the Internet for health information in the last 12 months, according to the survey conducted by MEDSTAT. Of most interest to these users is disease-specific data with 82% indicating they used the Internet to gather such information. General and preventive health information was also popular with 63% of users searching the Internet for it.

Survey results show that consumers' trust of the health information they find on the Internet is greatest when it's sponsored by a recognized organization or healthcare leader such as the National Cancer Institute. Seventy-one percent of households said they have a high level of trust in information presented with such sponsorship. In contrast, information sponsored by a pharmaceutical company is viewed skeptically by consumers, with only 20% indicating they have a high level of trust in such data. Other positive influences on consumers' trust of health information on the Internet are clinical evidence, with 69 percent indicating a high level of trust in this kind of information, and a doctor's recommendation, with 61% indicating high trust in this.

The survey results also reveal that local consumers trust friends and family above all else for information about doctors and hospitals. Seventy-five percent of local households have a high level of trust in friends and family when it comes to getting this information. Nurses ranked a close second with 69 percent having high trust in them. In contrast, such information provided by health plans and employers holds little sway with local consumers; only 20 percent and 25 percent respectively have a high level of trust in these sources for information about doctors and hospitals.

The telephone survey was conducted in October of 1999. Survey respondents included employed and unemployed consumers in the seven-county Southeast Michigan area with private or publicly funded health insurance, as well as uninsured individuals. Results represent responses from 600 individuals and have a margin of error of no more than 4.5%.

To view tables related to this news release, please visit http://www.medstat.com/news/pressreleases/healthinfo0200.html.

The MEDSTAT Group (www.medstat.com) is a healthcare information company that helps its clients manage the cost, quality, and strategic positioning of health services and benefits. MEDSTAT has the longest and most successful track record in the industry, providing databases, software applications, consulting, and research services to clients for almost two decades. Its nearly 1,000 clients include some of the nation's largest corporations, health plans and insurance companies, providers, pharmaceutical companies, and federal and state government agencies. Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, The MEDSTAT Group is part of The Thomson Corporation.