Lincoln, Neb. Even five years ago, the thought of hopping on the internet to make decisions about your personal healthcare seemed progressive if not foreign to most.  Now, online trends are showing that using the internet to find healthcare information has become the norm.  According to National Research and the Healthcare Market Guide (HCMG) survey, 4 out of 10 Americans are using the internet to find information about healthcare.  Thats up from an average of only 1 in 10 in 2001 and demonstrates that e-health activity is surging.

The trend is likely to continue as 8 out of 10 HCMG survey respondents reported that they would go online at some point in the future for healthcare information.  This is easy to believe when popular health information websites like WebMD are fast becoming reliable, experience information sources that have stood the test of time (WebMD turns 10 next year).  New sites like FamilyDoctor.org and Healthline.com also pack a punch when it comes to searchable health information.  Though some studies show that online information is not always from a reliable source, that concern hasn't been slowing consumers down one bit.

As a response to this increased online usage, even health systems and hospitals are archiving more articles and boasting slicker, more robust websites for anyone to use as a resource.  The question is can everyone access and use this information effectively?

Other general industry surveys show that younger people tend to use the internet more than older people, said Ginny Martin, President of HCMG.  However, our survey shows that in healthcare, older people over 35 are actively engaged in many different aspects of healthcare online.  For example, HCMG data points to 41.4% of those over the age of 65 as using the internet for general health services compared to 37.6% of respondents under the age of 34.

HCMG data also points to many national and regional trends that demonstrate online usage varies depending on where you live and how much you make.  Those who live in a household that earns over $100,000 per year are more likely (nearly 1 in 2) to use the internet to find health information than those in a household that earns under $25,000 collectively.  Only around 30 percent of those living in lower-income households were likely to log on.  It seems the rich/poor gap is extending to internet usage for health care as well.

Across the different regions of the US, internet usage varied.  Those in Southern states used the internet less for general health services information (36%) than those in the Mountain West (43%).  Pacific Coast residents found their physician information online (36%) more than those in the upper Midwest (26%).  Despite these disparages, for the most part all states had a significant amount of residents who were online making health decision and seeking information.

Utilizing the specific behavioral data that the HCMG Hospital Web Services Report provides, another key driver in e-health activity is household income.  Compared with more wealthy consumers, fewer people in lower-income households use the internet for health activities. Between households with incomes higher than $50,000 and those with lower incomes, the greatest gaps are in:

* Finding a doctor through online search directories (with a 14% gap between the two income groups);
* Refilling prescriptions (a 13% gap);
* Researching medical procedures (a 12% gap);
* Researching treatment options (a 11% gap);
* Obtaining directions to a hospital/facility (a 9% gap); and
* Researching prescriptions (a 9% gap).

As we look to the future, HCMG within the Hospital Web Services Report indicates that consumers may go behind current research and locating activities: the most desired services included refilling prescriptions (desired by 72%), scheduling appointments (69%), checking lab or test results (68%), e-mailing with physicians (68%) and pre-registering online. 

It seems that more Americans will continue to use the internet as a healthcare resource in the future, and on top of that, they will do more online than they ever have before.  For as varied as the internet activities of consumers are, one constant is for sure: they are all online and they aren't going anywhere.