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Seeking Health Information on the Internet

More and more Americans are using the Internet to access health information. A new survey from the Pew Internet Project and California HealthCare Foundation reveals that health is the third most popular topic Americans look for online. Two-thirds of Internet users look for information about a specific condition or problem. More than half of Internet users seek out data about treatments. Over 40 percent check out doctors or other healthcare professionals and over one third of Internet users use the Web to find out more about hospitals and other medical facilities.
The Pew Internet Project has been tracking how people use the Internet for more than a decade. It is striking that eight out of ten Internet users go online for health information. Many are using the Web as a de facto second opinion, according to Susannah Fox, associate director of Digital Strategy for the Pew Internet & American Life Project.

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About the Author
Terry Graedon, PhD, is a medical anthropologist and co-host of The People’s Pharmacy radio show, co-author of The People’s Pharmacy syndicated newspaper columns and numerous books, and co-founder of The People’s Pharmacy website. Terry taught in the Duke University School of Nursing and was an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology. She is a Fellow of the Society of Applied Anthropology. Terry is one of the country's leading authorities on the science behind folk remedies..
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