The Internet is knocking, Medical Professionals, are you there?

No, well everyone else is.

Every year a larger percentage of the population is web enabled. A growing number of potential patients are out there and looking on the internet for information you could easily be providing. Like most in the health care field you probably have a website, an internet doorway for patients. Do you know what type of information they are knocking on your door to find?

eMarketer estimates that 63.4% of the US population uses the Web at least once per month, and that nearly seven out of 10 Americans will do so by 2013. Not only is the size of this population impressive but so is the staggering growth of their use of search engines. Google in a recent month received 33.5% more visitors then from the previous year.

That is a potentially large number of people looking for health care information. To communicate with this type of internet user you need to speak their language. Some have even now dubbed this crowd, e-patients. Estimations of the e-patient population have shown they make up 75% of all internet users. (Pew Foundation)

These users differ from the average web surfer. They have a much more serious concern, their health. E-patients want current information to base important medical decisions. They also trust the opinions of others in online communities where word of mouth recommendations are prevalent.

Even though speaking with a doctor is still the preferred source of medical information; the audience using the internet as their primary resource is growing. You are only their first option slightly more than half the time.

Start bringing them through your door using a marketing strategy that radiates to a growing population. A population that believes the internet is one of the acceptable channels to gather medical information. Become a reliable open source of information on the web and you will see the results that are possible.