US consumers are turning to the Internet, even more so than
their doctors, to research health information, according to a report from
digital marketing company iCrossing.
According to the analysis, 59% of a group of 1,084 adult men
and women surveyed said they used the Internet as a resource for health and
wellness-related info, while 55% said they consulted with their physicians.
The report, How America Searches: Health and Wellness, was
conducted by The Opinion Research Corporation, an infoUSA research and
consulting firm, for iCrossing in December.
Although consumers prefer the Net for research, docs are
still the most trusted source of health info, the survey found. When asked to
identify the top three sources they trusted the most, 77% of consumers cited
their primary care physicians, 55% their specialist physicians, and 37% their
nurses or nurse practitioners. Only 24% listed the Internet as a top trusted
source.
“Pharma marketers ought to consider channels
that they hadn't before—most particularly search engines,” added iCrossing VP
of strategy Noah Elkin. According to Elkin, general search engines dominate
consumer research.