Nearly a quarter of Canadians head online for health info

According to a recent PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) survey, 22% of adult Canadians used the Internet to find health information during the past year and 79% believed the quality of that information needs to be improved.

BC residents were the most likely to have looked for online health information (28%), followed closely by residents of Ontario and Alberta. Quebecers were least likely (14%).

Although 96% of those who searched indicated that it is easy to find information and it tended to be presented in a manner that was easily understood, 79% felt that it is hard to know which information can be trusted.

According to the survey, which was conducted in the spring of 2000, Canadians aged 65 and over are least likely to have used the Internet in the past year (7%, compared with 72% of those aged 15–24 and 56% of those aged 25–44). However, seniors who are connected are more likely to seek health information than younger Canadians (55%, versus 31% for those aged 15–24 and 51% for those aged 25–44). Women who use the Internet are more likely than men to search for health information (47% versus 36%).

According to the PWC study, 33% of Canadians who obtained medical information on the Internet discussed this material with their doctors. Results from the CMA's 2000 Physician Resource Questionnaire (PRQ) indicate that 84% of doctors have had patients present them with medical information obtained on the Internet, and 47% of those doctors reviewed such information always or often. The PRQ indicated that only 32% of doctors reviewing Internet-based health information presented by patients found the material to be of good or very good quality.

The exchange of Internet-based health information sometimes travels in the other direction. The PRQ found that 36% of doctors give information found online to patients; 51% of online doctors refer patients to health sites, at least occasionally. Doctors who are not personally online appear to be familiar with some health-related Web sites: 26% of them have referred patients, at least occasionally, to medical sites. —