Diabetes Information Sought on Web Sites Ahead of Doctors, Survey Reveals
Looking for a reason to beef up your Web site? A recent independent survey conducted by morefocus, an online research organization, revealed that people are more likely to look for information on a health Web site than talk to their doctor when searching for information about diabetes.
More than 30 percent of those surveyed said their primary source of information about diabetes is health Web sites, while only 21 percent said doctors are the first resource. Family and friends were not far behind doctors, with 17 percent of respondents saying family and friends are their primary source of information.
Of those surveyed, 83 percent had one or more family members with diabetes, and a majority, 67 percent, said they are satisfied with their knowledge of the disease.
"When you see that so many of those surveyed have family members with diabetes, it makes a little more sense that so many would consider family their primary source of information," said Dr. Regan Carey, morefocus research director. "The more surprising data was how many more people check Web sites instead of talking to a doctor. This really highlights the emergence of health Web sites that people find reliable and trustworthy."
When asked about the possibility of having diabetes, the biggest concern among respondents was potential long-term complications, with 24 percent of those surveyed naming this as their primary worry. However, right behind at 23 percent was not being able to eat what they want.
"Considering that diabetes often runs in families, and so many of our respondents had at least one family member with diabetes, it seems our respondents were already quite aware of what it means to be diabetic," said Dr. Carey. "They know that when you have diabetes, food becomes an everyday, upfront issue. The responses show that food issues are almost on par with long-term complications, most likely because food is an issue a diabetic is forced to face every day."
To find out more about the survey, visit www.morefocused.com.
This article originally appeared in the November 2006 issue of HME Business.