Consumers are using the internet and social media to a great extent for healthcare purposes. This report covers what healthcare and pharma marketers need to know about how online-acquired information influences patient action.
A December 2023 survey of 1,391 US consumers reveals how they’re using digital channels for healthcare research and discovery and how online-acquired information - and misinformation - influences patient action.
Key Question: How is information acquired online affecting consumers’ healthcare decisions?
Key Stat: More than half (54%) of US consumers have self-diagnosed a medical condition based on information obtained online. Search engines and medical information websites are most commonly used to arrive at those self-diagnoses.
Key Report Features:
- 4 Exportable files for easy reading, analysis and sharing.
- 9 Charts: Reliable data in simple displays for presentations and quick decision making.
Table of Contents
- Executive Summary
- Today’s healthcare consumers are eager to obtain medical information online
- Online-acquired information influences consumers’ healthcare decisions
- What are the implications for healthcare and pharma brands and marketers?
- Methodology
- Sources
- Media Gallery
Charts
- Online Sources Used by US Consumers to Self-Diagnose a Condition, Dec 2023 (% of respondents)
- Types of Health-Related Research US Consumers Conduct Online, Dec 2023 (% of respondents)
- US Consumers Who Use Social Media and AI to Begin Their Online Research for Medical Information, by Generation, Dec 2023 (% of respondents per group)
- US Consumers Who Compare Prices for Medications, Medical Services, or Health Insurance Plans, by Generation, Dec 2023 (% of respondents)
- Digital Channels Where US Consumers See/Hear Healthcare Ads*, Dec 2023 (% of respondents)
- Healthcare Services, Medications, or Treatments That US Consumers Have Purchased Online* in the Past Year, Dec 2023 (% of respondents)
- How Often US Consumers' Online Self-Diagnoses Are Proven Correct (% of US consumers who have self-diagnosed a medical condition, Dec 2023)
- US Social Media Users Who Engage With or Follow Health Influencers on Social Media, by Generation, Dec 2023 (% of respondents)
- Likelihood of Patients Getting Faulty Medical Information From GenAI, According to US Physicians, Aug 2023 (% of respondents)
