Merck Manuals Survey: More Than Two Thirds of Americans Often Hear Conflicting Medical Information from Family and Friends

KENILWORTH, N.J., Oct. 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Patients and medical professionals have access to unprecedented amounts of medical information, but evaluating the quality of information and using it to make informed health choices remains difficult for many Americans. Three in five (60%) Americans are reading, accessing, and consuming more medical information today than 24 months ago, according to a recent online survey of over 2,000 US adults conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of Merck Manuals. Yet challenges around fast-changing medical information and conflicting sources persist, the survey found. More than two-thirds of Americans (68%) say they often hear conflicting medical information from family and friends.

Other findings include:

• Over three in five Americans (64%) get confused because medical information is constantly changing.
• 58% of Americans say they get more medical information online than from their doctors.
• 58% of Americans say they are overwhelmed by the amount of medical information out there currently.

"These findings underscore what many medical professionals and folks in the general public have intuitively felt for a long time – our collective health choices are playing a bigger role in our daily lives today than they have in recent memory," said Dr. Sandy Falk, M.D., Merck Manuals Editor-in-Chief. "The COVID-19 pandemic has only accelerated people's urge to find trusted, credible sources of medical information online. With Global Medical Knowledge Day this year, we're renewing our commitment to giving medical professionals and consumers accurate, credible information that helps them make better decisions."

Taking place on Oct. 15, 2021, Global Medical Knowledge Day is a call for all health care professionals, medical students, and consumers to celebrate and promote the power of actionable health information.

Despite challenges, 60% of Americans say they are more confident they can find trustworthy medical information now versus 24 months ago. In a recent editorial on MerckManuals.com, The Manuals staff shares context and insights on the survey findings and offers a renewed dedication to help patients and health professionals access and evaluate medical information.

The editorial details a method for evaluating online medical information known as the STANDS method:

• Source: Does the resource cite recognized authorities and provide their credentials?
• Transparency: Is it open and obvious whether the site's mission is educational or commercial?
• Accessibility: Is the site available without registration, and is there a way for users to contact someone with questions or concerns?
• Neutrality: Is the information available purely as a resource, or does the site benefit financially from what its users do (such as buying products or visiting advertised websites)?
• Documentation: Is the site updated when needed by recognized medical experts?
• Security: Can users access content without forfeiting personal information?

About The Merck Manuals and MSD Manuals

First published in 1899 as a small reference book for physicians and pharmacists, The Merck Manual grew in size and scope to become one of the world's most widely used comprehensive medical resources for professionals and consumers. As The Manual evolved, it continually expanded the reach and depth of its offerings to reflect the mission of providing the best medical information to a wide cross-section of users, including medical professionals and students, veterinarians and veterinary students, and consumers. In 2015, The Manuals kicked off Global Medical Knowledge 2020, a global initiative with the goal to make the best current medical information accessible by up to three billion professionals and patients around the world by 2020. The Manuals achieved that goal, and today its medical information is available in more than 241 countries and in nearly a dozen languages. It's continuing its ambitious mission through outreach, education and creating new reliable medical resources. For access to thousands of medical topics with images, videos and a constantly expanding set of resources, visit MerckManuals.com or MSDManuals.com and connect with us on social media:

For Consumers in the U.S. and its territories: Twitter and Facebook
For Professionals in the U.S. and its territories: Twitter and Facebook

Survey Methodology

This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Merck Manuals between September 13-15, 2021 among 2,026 US adults ages 18+. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact Katie Miller at [email protected].

About Merck

For over 130 years, Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, has been inventing for life, bringing forward medicines and vaccines for many of the world's most challenging diseases in pursuit of our mission to save and improve lives. We demonstrate our commitment to patients and population health by increasing access to health care through far-reaching policies, programs and partnerships. Today, Merck continues to be at the forefront of research to prevent and treat diseases that threaten people and animals – including cancer, infectious diseases such as HIV and Ebola, and emerging animal diseases – as we aspire to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company in the world. For more information, visit www.merck.com and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.

SOURCE The Merck Manuals

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