NEW ORLEANS, Feb. 27 (UPI) -- One in three Americans say they use the Internet to find health information, a new U.S. study says.
But there is a disconnect between what consumers need and what is available, according to the survey of 4,105 adults by Illuminas unveiled at a New Orleans health information technology conference.
Americans are still most likely to ask their doctor for medical advice, the survey found, but 44 percent said they use medical Web sites and 32 percent said they conduct online searches.
Physicians, however, have been slower to adopt online technology, the survey found.
Sixty-two percent of respondents said their doctor doesn't offer Internet-based tools such as the ability to directly e-mail them, schedule an appointment online, or check a Web site with information on the practice or doctors' credentials. And only one in four said that medical providers have fully embraced the Internet to deliver health information and services.
