To Your Health
May, 2010 (Vol. 04, Issue 05) |
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Step 6. Stay Well-Informed
As the Greek philosopher Diogenes stated: "The only good is knowledge, and the only evil ignorance." Given today's health care climate, we each must serve as our own health advocate. Staying well-informed may indeed be the best medicine.
Majority of American Adults Rely on Internet for Health Information
In that an estimated 74 percent of adults in the U.S. use the Internet, the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) collected data on the use of health information technologies (HIT), or applications of information processing via computers that access, retrieve, store, or share health care information. The survey found that:
- From January through June 2009, 51 percent of adults ages 18 to 64 said they had used the Internet to look up health information during the past 12 months.
- Over 3 percent of adults ages 18-64 had used an online chat group to learn about health topics in the past 12 months.
- Women were more likely than men to look up health information on the Internet (58.0 percent versus 43.4 percent, respectively), and were also more likely to use online chat groups to learn about health topics (4.1 percent versus 2.5 percent).
According to Cohen, et al., "the Internet has the potential to improve consumer health by facilitating communication between providers and patients, and among providers ... the Internet may become increasingly important as a source of health information for consumers."
Source: "Health Information Technology Use Among Men and Women Aged 18-64: Early Release of Estimates From the National Health Interview Survey, January-June 2009." National Center for Health Statistics, February 2010.
Take the Next Step Toward Lifelong Health
Six steps to a healthier you - how many are you participating in on a regular basis? Keep in mind, of course, that these aren't the only six ways to maximize your health, but they're a great place to start. There's never a bad time to sit down and assess your current health and what you can do to improve it, especially when some simple behavior and lifestyle modifications can have a profound impact on your life span. Talk to your doctor for more information.
Ronald Klatz, MD, is the president of the American Academy of Anti-Aging (www.worldhealth.net), a nonprofit organization dedicated to the prevention, detection and treatment of aging-related disease.
Robert Goldman, MD, is the chairman of the American Academy of Anti-Aging (www.worldhealth.net), a nonprofit organization dedicated to the prevention, detection and treatment of aging-related disease.
