How users search for health info

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Alex Moskalyuk points to this iCrossing study - how america searches for health and wellness. Almost 41% of online users used the Web to self-diagnose or self-treat a condition. I feel it’s mainly due to the rising health care costs and lack of guidance and support from the health care professionals. The most important attribute for any health care professional is to offer consultancy, how often do you get that advice from the doctor. Most of the expertise is focussed around treating and curing and not towards preventive health care. Preventive health care is becoming a luxurious ’spa’ like industry or sweat it out ‘gymming’ industry, with 1000s of newbies posing as the ‘health experts’. Where is the preventive or the most common health knowledge in the public domain ?. Most importantly, where is the ‘care’ in the health care ‘industry’. I have parents with diabetes and BP and had to change 3 doctors and finally get to the 4th one who offered not just medicines but advice and consultation too.

Problem with health information available online: How many users can really make out that the page they are on is researched or a professional material like a journal or something like MensHealth. There are thousands of content posers in this domain who have a ‘professional looking’ blog or a product page and directing you towards the ads of dubious companies. This trend is not good for people, if they start following the advices or products that they get online. The problem is not finding the information, its about the right information from a right source - the information that you can trust.

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