Boomer research finds women go online for health information, share with others

My left heel has been bothering me a lot lately, so I did what most Boomer women do: I turned to the Internet to try and diagnose the problem.  Using only the term "heel pain," I learned from www.FootPhysicians.com that my problem could be anything from arthritis to Plantar Fasciitis, to a stress fracture or even a nerve problem.

The point is, it wasn't that long ago that I would have just called and made an appointment to see a doctor as soon as I experienced pain. Now, I do what most Boomer women do when it comes to health issues: I research the Internet first, ask my husband and friends what they think, then seek a doctor's help.

I thought maybe my research habits were unique to me until I saw the results of the Boomer Insights and Implications Study,  recently conducted by Edelman and Strategy One. Turns out that women Boomers say that when it comes to health issues,  they actively seek out advice from an extended social network.

Some 77% reported consulting experts, such as doctors. But 88% consult family members (a spouse, children, parents, siblings). Almost half (48%) consult friends and acquaintances for advice. A majority - 63% of us -- turn to the Internet for help.

So what do we do with all this information? Share, share, share. The study showed that a whopping 86% of females share health information face-to-face or on the phone, and 42% share our knowledge online and via e-mail.

By the way, we don't just do all this for our own conditions. We're looking for health information on behalf of our parents, spouses and kids as well. In other words, Boomer women are a huge target simply because of our tremendous influence across generations.

What does this mean to you? If your company offers a health  product or service for Boomers, understand that we are turning to you for information, not a sales message. We want web sites that are thorough, with links to related sources, are easy to read and understand, and are easy to navigate.

Also consider linking visitors to chat rooms or discussion forums where we can talk with others about our concerns and questions. In other words, think of us as information warriors who can help drive traffic to your site... because if you can satisfy us, we'll tell everyone we know about it!

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[rita Robison]

I've just started a blog on TypePad for boomer consumers. I plan to post five times a week. I'll be writing e-books for boomers after I get more experience blogging.

Blogging is fun. Please visit my blog and leave me a comment.

Rita