More than half of boomers access pharma sites for health info

More than half of boomers access pharma sites for health info

Fifty-six percent of baby boomers and 35% of "matures" (people born before 1946) consult pharmaceutical Web sites when they are looking for health information. Yet sites about diseases or symptoms grab a bigger chunk of the audience: 70% of baby boomers and 41% of matures. That's according to a survey of 30,000 of these consumers by Focalyst, a joint venture between AARP Services and The Kantar Group. When it comes to what resource they think is most valuable, both boomers and matures cite their physician. Yet boomers are more likely to place high value on Web sites as information sources. According to the survey, 42% of boomers say that Web sites about diseases are among the most valuable sources, and 31% cite pharmaceutical Web sites. Both groups also are more inclined to visit pharma sites before government Web sites or publications or blogs/podcasts.