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To the Editor: Dr Baker and colleagues¹ reported that only 40% of US Internet users search for health information online yearly and that only 9% search for this information on a monthly basis. Industry market research studies, however, report results that differ greatly from the findings of Baker et al.

Using random-digit dialing telephone methods, Cybercitizen Health found that 53% of all Internet users visited online health information sites in 2001² and that 65% did so in 2002.³ In addition, Cybercitizen Health found that 56% of such users accessed these sites monthly in 2001 and that 59% did so in 2002. In contrast, Baker et al found that only 22% of such users visited monthly in 2002.

The Cybercitizen Health data also indicated that 30% of all Internet health information users are monthly users of the WebMD Network alone, a percentage in excess of the 22% overall that Baker et . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Roger C. Holstein; George D. Lundberg, MD
WebMD Corp
Elmwood Park, NJ

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