Measuring Online Health Information Usage
Author Information
Author(s): Fred B Wood, Dennis Benson, Eve-Marie LaCroix, Elliot R Siegel, Susan Fariss
Primary Institution: National Library of Medicine
Hypothesis
How can Internet audience measurement data be used to understand market share for online health information services?
Conclusion
Internet audience measurement has proven useful to NLM, helping to understand the relative usage of NLM and NIH websites in the health information market.
Supporting Evidence
- NLM websites account for 55% to 80% of total NIH website usage.
- NIH.gov ranks second only behind WebMD in the US domestic home health information market.
- Internet audience measurement data has helped NLM understand its position in the health information market.
Takeaway
This study looks at how many people use health information websites and how that helps organizations like the National Library of Medicine understand their popularity.
Methodology
The study used Internet audience measurement data from external panels and Web log software to analyze website usage.
Potential Biases
Potential underrepresentation of certain user groups, such as researchers, in the audience measurement panels.
Limitations
The study acknowledges that Web usage is only one dimension of a complete evaluation framework and that other qualitative methods are also important.
Participant Demographics
The study primarily focuses on users of health information websites, including consumers, health professionals, and researchers.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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