A study in Belgium assessed how 1000 people use the internet for health information and to purchase pharmaceutical products. It found that 88% have searched for health information online, with 29% searching weekly. Most search due to personal symptoms or problems. People primarily use search engines and trust official health sites. While few buy medicines online, reasons include perceived lower prices and product availability. The study also suggests search engines should aim to reduce unnecessary health anxiety from search results.

1. Health-related Web search habits A recent Belgian study

2. Presentation of the survey

4. Sample’s profile 18-34 Higher Upper FR Urban Non urban YES NO 35-54 55+ Male Female FL

5. Results

6. Internet consultation frequency 88% have already searched for health-related information on the Web 29% search for health-related info every week N=1000

7. Motivation to consult the Web for health-related info  First  Top 3 49% are primarily searching info about symptoms / problems they personally suffer from N=884

8. Research mode N=884 Q4. Le plus souvent, lorsque vous consultez Internet sur des matières de santé, démarrez-vous votre recherche par un moteur de recherche (Google, …) ou vous rendez-vous directement sur un site spécifique?

9. Health-related visited sites N=884

10. Confidence towards available sites N=884  First  Top 3 Q6. Parmi ces différents types de sites, auquel accordez-vous le plus de confiance?

11. Confidence criteria N=884 Q7. Lorsque vous recherchez de l’information sur la santé ou des médicaments sur Internet, sur quels critères vous basez-vous pour évaluer la qualité, le sérieux et la crédibilité de ce que vous trouvez?

12. On-line medicines purchase N = 1000 Q8. Avez-vous déjà acheté des médicaments par Internet? OTC or RX ?

13. Types of medicines bought on-line N = 40

14. Reasons for buying medicines on-line N = 40

15. Some opinions about on-line medicines purchase 55% 65% 63% 40% 33% 65% 33% 45% 35% 10% N = 1000 No danger Same good quality as products bought in pharmacy No instruction from a doctor or pharmacist Contra-indications should initially be checked Are likely to be counterfeits of less quality Risks of harmful abuses Only through sites with recognized quality label Take care to have a complete scientific note No control of the expiry date Access to very good drugs not available in Belgium  Disagree  Agree Buyers (N=40)

16. Internet site of my pharmacist N = 1000 Q14. Does your pharmacist have an Internet site? Q15. Would you find this useful?

17. Motivations towards a pharmacist site N = 598 who would find this useful

18. Complementary results from a Microsoft research in the U.S. * http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/um/people/ryenw/papers/WhiteTOIS2009.pdf Ryen White and Eric Horvitz November 2008