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US 'Cyberchondriacs' Double in Seven Years
Self-diagnosis is on the rise, according to a new poll from Harris. Around 117 million US adults search for health information online, compared with just 54 million in 1998. The vast majority of these 'cyberchondriacs' say they trust the information they find, and 43% never discuss it with doctors.
The poll, based on telephone interviews with 1,015 US adults, found that some 72% of all online adults now qualify as cyberchondriacs, down slightly from last year's 74%. However, the overall number has risen due to increased Internet access.
The frequency of searches has also grown since last year, with 85% of cyberchondriacs saying they had searched for health information at least once in the last month (compared with 60% last year). On average, a cyberchondriac searches for health information almost seven times a month - up from five times a month a year ago, and three times a month in 2001. Meanwhile, the percentage of people who 'hardly ever' search for health information has dropped to 14% from 24% last year.
The survey suggests that many people are getting the reassurance they need from the Internet, as only 57% go on to discuss the information they find online with their doctors. A large majority of cyberchondriacs (89%) say their searches for information were successful, and 90% believe the information they found was reliable.
The company is online at www.harrisinteractive.com
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