Benchmark 2008: Healthcare Consumers' Tepid Online Channel Uptake

Now more than ever, the Web is teeming with health-related content as new sites, products, and services seem to flood the market under the health and wellness guise. So how are consumers responding? Our latest research shows that health insurers and pharmaceutical companies are still struggling to move the needle on Web site visit rates. With health insurers each investing millions of dollars in the online channel over the past few years, this fact is a tough pill to swallow. But there is a silver lining to this cloud: Site visits are beginning to tick upward relative to previous years, especially among Gen Xers. This document uncovers differences in how US online consumers use the Web for health-related purposes — by generation, condition, brand-name prescription, and insurance carrier.