The Health Seekers

According to a new Harris poll, 75 percent of U.S. adult internet users have searched for health care information on line. Not only is this percentage climbing (from 71 percent in 1998), but also the number of U.S. adults on the internet (from 38 percent in 1998 to 63 percent today).

Today, an estimated 97 million U.S. adults have sought health care information on the web that number will be higher tomorrow.

Looking at it another way, this means that approximately nine out of every 20 of your patients have sought health care information on line. (I personally believe that the percentage is higher for "alternative health" users, but have no evidence to prove it.)

This should tell us something about these "health seekers." They are:

• willing to learn - They are quite happy to spend their own time learning about their health care options on line (46 percent of those on line do so "often" or "sometimes").


• want to find out for themselves (not just ask someone) - Maybe it's because they can't get answers from their providers, but today's consumers want the knowledge for themselves (76 percent search for information on health care sites or through portal sites that lead them to specific health sites).


• willing to form their own opinions based on the information - A person seeking information is willing to learn. They are willing to let the information they find build their opinions and direct their actions. How many of your patients have opinions about chiropractic that were developed from what they learned on the internet?


• motivated to maintain their health - A patient (or potential patient) with an open mind is a powerful thing. Such patients are our opportunity to develop an understanding of wellness and effectively change public opinion in small increments.

With so many people hungry for information about health, what are you doing to feed them? When they come to your office, do you talk about the weather, or do you fulfill your mission as "teacher"? Remember, "doctor" means "teacher."

Are the people on your staff "teachers" as well?

While your patients are waiting for you, are they getting the latest gossip from People magazine, or are they occupied with video, audio and printed educational material? What do you (or your front office person) give them to read while they are waiting?

If we aren't willing to educate our patients (and prospective patients) someone else surely will. Nine out of every 20 of your patients is seeking health information on the web. Is this where you want them to go to learn about wellness?

Perhaps we should look at the steps people take to find health information on the web. This path is probably fairly typical:

• Search - They type in a word or phrase that describes the health information their seeking on a search engine, which returns hundreds of websites that contain the word or phrase.


• Review Resources - They then read the brief descriptions of various websites and click on a few that seem likely to supply them with the needed information. The digging begins.


• Get Specific Answers - After getting an overview of the subject matter, most people focus on specific questions they want answered.


• Ask an Expert - Answers to specific questions can be illusive. Finding an expert on line is optimal. (This is why the "Ask a Doctor of Chiropractic Forum" on ChiroWeb.com generally has 30-40 exchanges every week. Many thanks go to the diligent work of DCs George Best and Allen Manison to educate thousands of potential chiropractic patients every year.)


• Get Additional Information - This is where electronic newsletters come into play. They provide a constant flow of information. ChiroWeb's e-mail newsletter To Your Health enjoys over 1,500 new consumer subscribers (potential chiropractic patients) every week! That tells us people are hungry to learn about chiropractic.


• Find a Provider - Once you have the information you need, it's time to find a provider of those services. The more you can tell potential patients about you and your services, the better chance you have to see them in your office.

While much of the early internet claims appeared to be hype, many of those claims were just slow to be fulfilled. With 63 percent of U.S. adults on line (almost double that of two years ago), and 75 percent of those adults searching for health information on the internet (a net total of 47 percent of U.S. adults seeking health care information on line), it isn't hard to see the trend.

What's exciting is the power of the internet to tell the chiropractic story. Not only do patients learn, but also it is easy to pass on web-based information to others. A graphic example of this is happening in Georgia, where a few DCs in one area have been particularly diligent in sending their patients the To Your Health e-mail newsletter. Within this small area, over 2,000 chiropractic patients are receiving the newsletter every two weeks. Not coincidently, this is where the largest population of consumer subscribers (nearly 200) is located. These chiropractic patients are passing on their newsletters to family, friends and co-workers, who in turn are subscribing for their own benefit.

Assuming this relationship is consistent, reaching an entire community includes educating existing patients who will help educate others. Many new tools are available using the internet, and they are very inexpensive. What is needed is consistent implementation

The hunger for health information continues to reach new highs. People are actively taking responsibility for their health and making decisions based on the information we provide them.

What can you do to help tell the chiropractic story to more people more often?

Donald M. Petersen Jr.,
BS, HCD (hc), FICC(h)
Editor / Publisher of Dynamic Chiropractic
don@mpamedia.com