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Doctors? Nah; Most Millennials Get Medical Advice Online
By Angela Moscaritolo
24 Sep 2019, 8 p.m.
Almost one in four millennials have gone five years or more without a physical, a new survey finds. Instead, most are turning to the Web for answers to medical questions.
Millennials have already been blamed for killing off napkins, canned tuna, and homeownership. Could doctors be next on the chopping block?
A survey of 2,000 millennials between the ages of 23 and 38, conducted in June by health data management firm Harmony Healthcare IT, indicates that many are foregoing doctor's visits in favor of doing their own online research. Perhaps it's all the kale juice keeping them healthy, they're too busy, or they lack health insurance, but 24 percent of millennials—almost one in four—have gone five years or more without a physical, the survey found. And a quarter of millennials said they don't have a primary care physician.
Instead, most of that demographic group are turning to the Web for answers to medical questions. Seventy-three percent of millennials said they have sought medical advice online instead of going to a doctor. Even when they do visit doctors, millennials consult the Web as well: Ninety-three percent said they do research online in addition to seeing a doctor.
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Their main online sources for medical information? WebMD, followed by news articles, YouTube and Reddit, health apps, FamilyDoctor.org, and Everyday Health, according to the survey. Almost half of those surveyed (48 percent) said they trust online resources to diagnose their symptoms accurately.
The survey also found that most millennials (57 percent) prefer high-deductible insurance plans with lower premiums to cut down on monthly costs, and 48 percent would prefer to see a doctor virtually rather than in person.
"With an emphasis on convenience, low cost, and technology, it will be interesting to see how this generation helps shape the future of health and how both patients and providers will adapt to those changes along the way," Harmony Healthcare IT wrote in a blog post.
For more survey findings, check out the infographic below.
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Angela Moscaritolo Reporter
Angela has been a PCMag reporter since January 2012. Prior to joining the team, she worked as a reporter for SC Magazine, covering everything related to hackers and computer security. Angela has also written for The Northern Valley Suburbanite in New Jersey, The Dominion Post in West Virginia, and the Uniontown-Herald Standard in Pennsylvania. She is a graduate of West Virginia University's Perely Isaac Reed School of Journalism. See Full Bio
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