• Fully 80% of adult Internet users, or about 93 million Americans, have searched for at least one of 16 major health topics online. Looking for health or medical information is one of the most popular activities online, after email (93%) and researching a product or service before buying it (83%).*
  
  
• The availability of health information online has helped transform the patient-physician relationship from that of physician authority administering advice and treatment to that of shared decision-making between patient and physician.†
  
  
• For healthcare professionals, the wide body of knowledge and practice that is quickly available from credible electronic sources helps facilitate real-time healthcare delivery, especially when timing is crucial. ††

Sources: *Pew Internet & American Life Project. †The American Medical Association. ††The American Health Information Management Association.