---
title: "Online Rx"
description: "Six-in-ten Americans have gone online for health information."
date: "2009-06-29"
authors:
  - name: "Russell Heimlich"
    job_title: "Former web developer"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/russell-heimlich/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2009/06/29/online-rx/"
---

# Online Rx

While most Americans still turn to a doctor or another health professional when confronted with a medical issue, an increasing number are turning to their computers. Fully 61% of Americans use the internet when in need of health information. At the beginning of the decade, only 25% of American used the internet as a source for medical issues. As with internet penetration, affluent, well educated and young Americans are the most likely to be “e-patients.” And as the internet evolves, so too does online medical information. A majority of e-patients have used or participated in some form of user-generated material, such as reading a health-related blog or consulting online rankings and reviews of doctors.[Read More](https://www.pewresearch.org/pubs/1248/americans-look-online-for-health-information)