Chronically ill lack Web access

People affected by chronic conditions are less likely to have Internet access, according to new Pew data reported in the New York Times. Meanwhile, the number of “cyberchondriacs,” people who frequently research health information online, has jumped in the past year, according to a Harris poll showing the mean number of monthly searches for health information is 6.0, and 17 per cent looked 10 or more times over the last month. More than half of those who searched discussed information with their doctors, or searched because of a conversation with their doctors, showing the Internet is an important source of health information, and even reassurance.

New York Times