ResourceBlog Article: New Report: Results from Pew's Online Health Search 2006 Survey

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Sunday, 29th October 2006

New Report: Results from Pew's Online Health Search 2006 Survey

Online Health Search 2006: Most internet users start at a search engine when looking for health information online. Very few check the source and date of the information they find.

Are we surprised by these findings? No. Are we sad to read them? Yes! Are they scary? Very much so. Another example of, "If it's on the web then it must be accurate and current." It once again illustrates the importance of the librarian/info professional as a teacher/educator in the age of the web especially when it comes to health info. The Medical Library Association does a good job but we ALL need to do better. ResourceShelf believes that regardless of what type of library you work in (if you work in one in the first place) we all need to be on the same team and represent the profession as a whole. Yes, the librarian of 2006 and beyond MUST be as much of a teacher/educator as anything else they do on a daily basis. Critical info skills are more important now than ever before (especially with health info), yet it seems the public pays little attention to them. Btw, this is yet another area where we (as info pros) can do a lot to shine.

From the summary:

Eighty percent of American internet users, or some 113 million adults, have searched for information on at least one of seventeen health topics. Most internet users start at a general search engine when researching health and medical advice online. Just 15% of health seekers say they “always” check the source and date of the health information they find online, while another 10% say they do so “most of the time.” Fully three-quarters of health seekers say they check the source and date “only sometimes,” “hardly ever,” or “never,” which translates to about 85 million Americans gathering health advice online without consistently examining the quality indicators of the information they find. Most health seekers are pleased about what they find online, but some are frustrated or confused.

Source: Pew Interent & American Life Project