---
title: "Medpedia’s Potential"
description: "Medpedia launched this week, prompting questions from many corners about how it fits in to the current realities of the health care world."
date: "2009-02-24"
authors:
  - name: "Susannah Fox"
    job_title: "Former Researcher"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/susannah-fox/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2009/02/24/medpedias-potential/"
categories:
  - "Health Care"
  - "Online Search"
---

# Medpedia’s Potential

[Medpedia](http://www.medpedia.com/) launched this week, prompting questions from many corners about how it fits in to the current realities of the health care world (see: [e-patients.net](http://e-patients.net/archives/2009/02/medpedia-who-gets-to-say-what-info-is-reliable.html); [TheScientist.com](http://www.the-scientist.com/community/posts/list/134.page); [Ars Technica](http://arstechnica.com/web/news/2009/02/hands-on-medpedia-delivers-esteemed-pleasant-medical-wiki.ars); and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/search?q=%23medpedia).)

I see almost everything through a data lens, so let me try to use what I know to benchmark Medpedia's potential:

74% of US adults are online; 75% look for health info online; 47% use Wikipedia (see our [latest trends charts](https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/trends.asp)).

Most people looking for health info online start at a search engine (Pew Internet: [Online Health Search 2006](https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/PPF/r/190/report_display.asp)).

Comscore Media Metrix continues to show that Wikimedia, Everyday Health, and WebMD [garner huge traffic](http://www.comscore.com/press/release.asp?press=2730).

Medpedia needs to either break into search engine results OR internet users need a reason to change their habits (ie, so far most [haven't been burned](https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/PPF/r/190/report_display.asp) by erroneous info and they haven't been convinced by any pro-MD marketing campaign to make a switch from the ["good enough"](http://e-patients.net/archives/2007/07/good-enough-technology.html) solutions).

However, Pew Internet consistently finds (as does the [National Cancer Institute](http://hints.cancer.gov/), and the [Center for Studying Health System Change](http://e-patients.net/archives/2008/08/health-system-change-collaborative-researchers.html)) that when facing a serious health question, most adults [turn to a health professional first](https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/PPF/r/231/report_display.asp). So there is still an opening for a MD-vetted information service.

The stakes are high for everyone — I hope this data helps to show that.