Health Information and the Internet: A Canadian Study

Statistics Canada’s February 2008 Health Reports has a study “Getting a second opinion: Health information and the Internet” that explores Canadian adults’ use of the Internet to find health information. Using data from the 2005 Canadian Internet Use Survey, the study found:

• more than one-third of Canadian adults, over half of them women, used the Internet to find health information
• about 38% reported that they had discussed their findings with a doctor or other health care professional
• of the estimated 15 million Canadians who used the Internet from home in 2005, 58% went online at some point to find health information
• The type of health information sought by Canadian adults online include information on specific diseases, lifestyle information (diet, nutrition, exercise), specific symptoms, drugs or medications, and alternative therapies