Why Medical Questions?

May 19, 2005 12:36 AM

Last week, SpecialK wondered aloud on MeTa, "Why do people keep asking medical questions on AskMe?". Here's a Pew Research report that talks about how and why people look for health information online. Also see Eszter Hargittai's Crooked Timber post on this study and another, along with her other posts and writings. (I posted here because it's too narrow-interest for MeFi and is in reponse to an AskMe etiquette question. Also, it's not bitching or a callout.)
posted by Ethereal Bligh to Etiquette/Policy at 12:36 AM (9 comments total)

Yup. Def. Thx.
posted by scarabic at 12:52 AM on May 19, 2005

Cool. Danke. May you have many pancakes balanced atop bunnies.
posted by loquacious at 1:31 AM on May 19, 2005

Great study from the pew. As a medical library staff member, I can use this study to gain leverage for my department. Well played!
posted by cosmicbandito at 6:47 AM on May 19, 2005

I saw this on Librarian.net. Good report.
posted by terrapin at 6:50 AM on May 19, 2005

"Well played!"

I'm not sure what you meant by that, but I'm happy to discover that most of the points I made in my comments in the other thread about how people look for and use health information online are validated in this study. See? Sometimes I actually do know what I'm talking about. :)
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 7:23 AM on May 19, 2005

Good article.

Wow, mentioned in MeTa and it's not a slam! ;) I'd like to thank the Academy, my mom, the library I grew up in, ...
posted by SpecialK at 11:37 AM on May 19, 2005

Thanks, EB.
posted by jenleigh at 11:47 AM on May 19, 2005

Actually, this site from a comment in the Crooked Timber piece is a good find. Thanx EB.
posted by peacay at 2:59 PM on May 19, 2005

I saw this on Librarian.net. Good report.

and I found it here!
posted by jessamyn at 6:08 PM on May 19, 2005