The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #56892

Kris S. Freeman, MS, Center for Ecogenetics and Environmental Health, Department of Environmental Health, University of Washington, 4225 Roosevelt Way NE, suite 100, Seattle, WA 98105-6099, 206-616-8536, kfreeman@u.washington.edu

More than 70 million people looked for health information online in 2002. The vast majority of these "e-health consumers" can be categorized into two groups: healthy people who occasionally look for anti-aging and wellness information; and the "newly diagnosed," or their friends and families, who conduct short, intensive searches about a specific illness. Recent research indicates that the healthy and newly diagnosed of e-health consumers usually to start their searches at a search engine, rather than specialized health sites or portals. They tend to select one of the first links on a search list, which may drop them into the middle of a Web site rather than take them to the home page. Therefore, Web site designers serving these audiences need to ensure that their navigation schemes are clear and easy to use no matter where a reader enters a site, and that important information about a site sponsor--such as slogans, affiliations, and contact information--are included the templates for all site pages. The third and smallest general group of e-health consumers consists of persons who are chronically ill and their caregivers. Members of this group tend to have different search patterns and needs, tending to show loyalty to a specific site and searching for emotional support as well as medical information. Web site designers serving this audience may wish to consider establishing listservs and chat rooms where users can offer each other support, and offering a news section with regularly updates information on treatment and advocacy issues.

Learning Objectives:

1). List three primary categories of "e-health consumers," people who search for health information online.
• Describe the search strategies typically used by people in these groups.
• Identify the implications of these search strategies for the successful design of oline health information.

Keywords: Internet, Health Behavior

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.