Breaking News: A recent survey reveals a critically important proportion of individuals accessing online health information identify as non-medical professionals, highlighting a growing need for accessible and reliable health resources tailored to a general audience.
A comprehensive analysis of user data from a prominent health information platform indicates that a considerable number of visitors do not possess a medical background. Specifically, 68.7% of users self-identified as “I’m not a medical professional” as of November 8, 2023, according to internal platform statistics. This contrasts sharply with the remaining 31.3% who categorized themselves within various medical fields, including students, practitioners, and specialists.
This trend underscores the increasing reliance on digital resources for health-related inquiries among the general public. Individuals are proactively seeking information about conditions, treatments, and preventative measures online, often before or in conjunction with consulting healthcare providers. the platform, which hosts content covering a wide spectrum of medical specialties, offers a selection menu allowing users to categorize themselves. The available options include:
- Specialties: Gastroenterology, General Practice, Genetics, Geriatrics, Health Policy, Hematology, HIV/AIDS, Hospital-based Medicine, Infectious Disease, Integrative/Complementary Medicine, Internal Medicine, Internal Medicine-Pediatrics, Medical Education and Simulation, Medical Physics, Medical Student, Nephrology, Neurological Surgery, Neurology, Nuclear Medicine, Nutrition, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Occupational Health, Oncology, Ophthalmology, Optometry, Oral Medicine, Orthopaedics, Osteopathic Medicine, Otolaryngology, Pain Management, Palliative Care, Pathology, Pediatrics, Pediatric Surgery, Pharmacology, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Plastic Surgery, Podiatry, Preventive Medicine, Psychiatry, Psychology, Pulmonology, Radiation Oncology, radiology, Rheumatology, Substance Use and addiction, Surgery, Therapeutics, Trauma, Urology
- Other: Miscellaneous
The data reveals that Internal Medicine (27 users), Pediatrics (114 users), and Psychiatry (162 users) represent some of the most frequently selected medical specialties among platform visitors with professional affiliations. Conversely, the “I’m not a medical professional” category consistently dominates user selections. The platform is located in San Francisco, California and serves a global audience, with the largest user base originating from the United States (42%), followed by Canada (18%) and the United Kingdom (12%).
This shift in information-seeking behavior presents both opportunities and challenges. While empowering individuals to take a more active role in their health,it also necessitates a focus on ensuring the accuracy,clarity,and accessibility of online medical content. The platform is currently implementing a new verification system for medical content,developed in collaboration with the University of California,San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine,to enhance the reliability of information presented to non-medical professionals. this system, slated for full rollout in Q1 2024, will utilize a three-tiered review process involving medical editors, peer review by specialists, and a lay-language assessment to ensure content is understandable by a general audience.
