Internet Use in Healthcare Study

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Vol. 289 No. 18, May 14, 2003 JAMA. 2003;289:2400-2406.

Use of the Internet and E-mail for Health Care Information

Results From a National Survey

ce Baker, PhD; Todd H. Wagner, PhD; Sara Singer, MBA; M. Kate

Bundorf, PhD, MBA, MPH

Context: The Internet has attracted considerable attention as a means

to improve health and health care delivery, but it is not clear how

prevalent Internet use for health care really is or what impact it has

on health care utilization. Available estimates of use and impact vary

widely. Without accurate estimates of use and effects, it is difficult

to focus policy discussions or design appropriate policy activities.

Objectives: To measure the extent of Internet use for health care among

a representative sample of the US population, to examine the prevalence

of e-mail use for health care, and to examine the effects that Internet

and e-mail use has on users' knowledge about health care matters and

their use of the health care system.

Design, Setting, and Participants: Survey conducted in December 2001

and January 2002 among a sample drawn from a research panel of more than

60 000 US households developed and maintained by Knowledge Networks.

Responses were analyzed from 4764 individuals aged 21 years or older who

were self-reported Internet users.

Main Outcome Measures: Self-reported rates in the past year of Internet

and e-mail use to obtain information related to health, contact health

care professionals, and obtain prescriptions; perceived effects of

Internet and e-mail use on health care use.

Results: Approximately 40% of respondents with Internet access

reported using the

Internet to look for advice or information about health or health care

in 2001. Six percent reported using e-mail to contact a physician or

other health care

professional. About one third of those using the Internet for health

reported that using the decision about health or their health care, but

very few reported

impacts on measurable health care utilization; 94% said that Internet

use had no effect on the number of physician visits they had and 93%

said it had no effect on the number contacts. Five percent or less

reported use of the Internet to obtain

prescriptions or purchase pharmaceutical products.

Conclusions: Although many people use the Internet for health

information, use is not as common as is sometimes reported. Effects on

actual health care utilization are also less substantial than some have

claimed. Discussions of the role of the Internet in health care and the

development of policies that might influence this role should

not presume that use of the Internet for health information is universal

or that the

Internet strongly influences health care utilization.

Author Affiliations: Department of Health Research and Policy, Stanford

University School of Medicine (Drs Baker, Wagner, and Bundorf), and

Center for Health Policy and Center for Primary Care and Outcomes

Research, Stanford University (Drs Baker, Wagner, and Bundorf and Ms

Singer), Stanford, Calif; National Bureau of Economic Research,

Cambridge, Mass (Drs Baker and Bundorf); and VA Health Services Research

and

Development Health Economics Resource Center, VA Palo Alto Health Care

System, Palo

Alto, Calif (Dr Wagner).