The number of visitors to major health insurance provider websites has declined during the past year due to the increase in U.S. unemployment, according to a new report from comScore.
There has been a corresponding increase in the number of searches related to obtaining health coverage during the past year.
Majority Find Online Health Information Reliable
The number of people looking for health information online has reached 154 million, representing 67 percent of the U.S. adult population, according to a new poll from Harris Interactive.
The majority (83%) of people looking for health information online indicate their search was successful and almost half (45%) say it was "very successful."
An even larger majority (87%) believes that this information was reliable, but only 28 percent said it was "very reliable."
More Americans Going Online For Health Information
The majority (61%) of Americans are going online for health information and most are reading reviews and comments posted by other users, according to a new report by the Pew Internet & American Life Project.
Among those who have gone online, 59 percent have done at least one of the following activities:
Google Aims to Improve Health-Related Searches
Google is researching how users of the search engine search the web when someone they know is sick. Google calls this a temporary experiment, but one that people might find interesting.
This experiment will trigger a poll question on a small percentage of random health-related searches. In cases where these occur, users will see see boxes like these in their search results:
Microsoft, Mayo Clinic Partner On Health Records Tool
The Mayo Clinic has partnered with Microsoft to launch a free online tool that allows people to manage their medical information on the Web.
The application called the "Mayo Clinic Health Manager" allows users to organize health information for multiple family members, access information from one location, and proactively manage their health.
Google Health And CVS Expand Partnership
CVS Caremark has expanded its partnership with Google Health by offering its pharmacy customers the ability to download their prescription and medication histories to their Google Health account.
Customers filling prescriptions at CVS pharmacy stores can now add their medication history to their online medical record directly from CVS.com.
Google Letting Users Post Their Health Records Online
Before we get started I need to tell you that I will need to fight a strong bias here to write about the issue of health records online. I have some background in the use, power and neglect of medical records from my days in the insurance business.
New Google Health Feautres Could Save Lives
Google has launched some new features for Google Health that could potentially save lives in times of personal crisis. For one, they’ve included the option for sharing Google Health profiles.
This means if you keep your profile up to date with any medication and medical history, you can share it with your loved ones so they can answer questions for doctors or other medical professionals in times of emergency.
Google Health Gets Handle On Real-Time Medical Data
Never mind Santa – 365 days a year, it’s now Google that may know when you’re sleeping or awake. The tech giant will be able to track things like heart rates and blood sugar levels, too, thanks to a partnership with IBM and help from the Continua Health Alliance.
Online Health Sites Announce Merger
Online health sites Waterfront Media and Revolution Health Network have reached an agreement to merge and will pose a potential threat to WebMD’s top position in the health care category.