The Pew Charitable Trust says I’ve been wrong all these years. I’ve written for 25 years that Americans increasingly get their health information from the Internet. Furthermore, a few minutes spent surfing the Web for health information can educate patients far more than their physicians would ever have time to explain. In a new Pew survey of where people get their health information, the Internet trails health care providers.
In the survey, about half (51%) said they get health information from health care providers extremely often or often. That is about double the proportion of people who say they frequently get medical information from major websites (23%) like WebMD. Another one-third (35%) say they sometimes get medical information from health care providers. That is about the same percentage (37%) who say they sometimes turn to medical websites like WebMD and Mayo Clinic. The following is what Pew had to say:
The vast majority of Americans (85%) say they at least sometimes get health information from health care providers, including 51% who say they often or extremely often turn to doctors and other medical workers.
A majority of Americans (60%) also say they turn to major health websites, such as WebMD or Mayo Clinic at least sometimes.
On closer inspection it is not clear what this actually means. Most physician visits last an average of about 15 minutes. That includes the time it takes for a nurse to take blood pressure, and patients to describe their symptoms and for their physicians to convey information back. Yet, those who see a doctor during the year can say they obtained health information from a health care provider, even if the information was generic and rushed. Americans see their physicians about three times a year, on average. Obviously, seniors in poor health see their doctors far more frequently, while most young people likely see their doctors once a year if that. The Pew data backs this up.
Older adults are more likely than younger Americans to say they at least sometimes get health information from health care providers (though providers are the most common source across age groups). Younger adults are more likely than their older peers to turn to social media and AI chatbots at least sometimes.
The survey of over 5,000 people on the American Trends Panel did not appear to ask about the amount of health information or what they relied on most. My wife has several doctors she sees throughout the year. Thus, she talks to her doctors for no more than 120 minutes annually. She may spend an hour every week listening to podcasts, YouTube experts (some doctors, some not) on health & wellness, longevity, antiaging, etc. That is a ratio of 25:1 in favor of someone else besides her doctor. Last year I did not speak with a doctor in person but had email exchanges with them. I also follow doctors on YouTube. Were the latter social media or doctors because they were not my doctor.
Looking back throughout my life I have gotten comparatively little health information from my doctor. Indeed, doctors find my job (health economist and health policy analysis) fascinating. I have talked about my work with physicians numerous times during a visit. One day I realized I was getting shortchanged, since I was there to discuss my health, not my job.
There was a time (before 1990) when Americans got nearly all their health information from their doctors. If patients thought they needed more than their doctors could convey they could turn to bookstores, libraries and even university libraries with medical journals. There basically was not that much out there and the transaction costs were high to acquire additional knowledge. Support groups did exist for some diseases but before social media it was hard to connect.
The Pew survey was primarily a snapshot of American trends, but it reinforces a narrative from a bygone era during the days of my grandparents. The era of receiving all health information, gatekept by a physician one-on-one, has thankfully gone the way of the rotary phone connected to a landline. We should embrace new care delivery models that boost efficiency, boost access to care and empower patients to take more control over their health. Web-based telemedicine got a boost during Covid and numerous websites now provide care with minimal (if any) verbal interaction with a physician. Internet based support groups, social media group therapy, and artificial intelligence have further potential if state medical boards can be convinced to get out of the way.
Read more at Pew Research Center: Where Do Americans Get Health Information, and What Do They Trust?