The Indiana State Department of Health as a Source of Consumer Health Information

Abstract

Americans are increasingly turning to the Internet for authoritative health information. Even the most conservative statistics estimate that about 40 percent of Americans with access to the Internet use it to obtain health information. These consumer health information (CHI) seekers share a number of characteristics: they use search engines more frequently than recommendations or advertisements; they are concerned about the credibility of online sources; and more than half believe that health information found online is accurate.