Tag Archives: About.com

About.com surveyed 1,321 consumers to get a better understanding of how people use the web to manage their health and what kind of information they are seeking.   Here are some key findings from the study:

Key Insights & Trends (2010 vs. 2009)

We are seeing a significant rise in people using online to take charge of their health and better educate themselves about conditions and treatment options; allowing them to make informed decisions and have knowledgeable discussions with their doctors.

They rely on online information to…..• • • •

• Feel better informed when talking with their doctor, making it a two way dialogue rather then a one way conversation (68%)
• Research medications and therapies (62%)
• Get lifestyle suggestions to improve overall health and wellness (53%)
• Verify what doctors tell them (49%)

The trend of no longer just relying on doctors and filling prescriptions right away is accelerating. Right after diagnosis with a new condition, respondents took the following actions:

• Used search engines to find more information about conditions (65% in 10 vs. 47% in 09)
• Used search engines to learn about different treatment options (47% in 10 vs. 16% in 09)
• Went to health websites to find more information about conditions (43% in 10 vs. 20% in 09)

People are using health ads as information resources significantly more than last year, to help educate themselves. Online ads…

• Makes them aware of different treatment options (47% in 10 vs. 42% in 09)
• Inform them about symptoms and conditions (46% in 10 vs. 42% in 09)
• Makes it easier for them to speak knowledgably with their doctors (26% in 10 vs. 17% in 09)

People are also viewing health ads as helpful in coping with diseases and learning about medication side effects and safety. They are looking for pharmaceutical advertisers to provide them with information on:

• Possible side effects and drug safety (58% in 10 vs. 28% in 09)
• Ways to cope with a condition or disease (47% vs. 20%)
• Drug effectiveness (55%)

People find printable health tips (40%), free trial offers (38% in 10 vs. 18% in 09), and brief user stories (29%), as helpful in health ads

There are some differences for ad receptivity by age

• Younger adults 25-54 find user stories about people who experience the same symptoms more helpful compared to adults 55+ (32% vs. 27%)
• Adults 55+ are more receptive to ads that have information about coping with diseases (58% vs. 51%) and medication side effects/safety (69% vs. 62%), compared to younger adults

Ads that incorporate humor (45%) and visually appealing ads with a lot of color & pictures (44%), would grab the most attention

• Younger adults 25-54 are more receptive to ads with social elements and Interactive ads, while older adults 55+ are more receptive to video ads

Online health ads activate consumers. As a result of seeing a healthcare ad online…

• 44% researched medication in more detail as a result of seeing a healthcare ad online (vs. 36% in 09)
• 35% talked to their doctor after seeing an online healthcare ad

60% took action as a result of seeing a healthcare ad on About.com. The following actions were taken as a result of a health ad on About.com:

• Researched the medication in more detail (70%)
• Talked to my doctor (56%)
• Spoke to friends/family about the medication (33%)
• Visited pharmaceutical website (24%)

While Web MD is still considered the number one health portal 41% feel About.com is ‘Extremely Trustworthy’ for health information, more then most leading health sites:

• WebMD (48%),
• Everyday Health (8%),
• MSN Health (8%),
• Yahoo! Health (6%),
• AOL Health (6%)

DTC marketers should ensure that health information is consistent among sites and this means that they need to think of every touch point on the Internet.   Consumers are going to go to multiple health sites to get information so consistency of information is vital to communicate brand messages.