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A Path of the Blue Eye Project Study  

Note:  This report is available free of charge to contributing members of our knowledge community Living the Path.  Learn about our Contributing Member program here.

E-Patients are individuals who actively use the Internet to research health information for themselves, friends and family members.  Studies published by a range of organizations, including the Pew Internet and American Life Project and Manhattan Research, indicate that e-patients are actively consuming health information published on social or new media sites. 

Because of these trends, a range of health organizations have begun to communicate with e-patients via blogs, social networks, microblogging services (e.g., Twitter) and other social media.  However, little is known about: 

• How e-patients perceive efforts by different types of health organizations to reach out to them using social tools
• What types of interaction or information e-patients want from health organizations employing social media for marketing communications purposes

To investigate these topics, the Path of the Blue Eye Project commissioned a national (U.S.) survey of 668 e-patients in late 2009.  (This study has a margin of error of +/- 3.1%).  Because of intense interest in the perceptions of older and unemployed/retired e-patients, the Project publicized data about these groups.  

The Project found that older (age 55+) and unemployed/retired e-patients are most interested in receiving news and information from health organizations communicating via social media.  Fewer want to communicate directly with health organization staff or connect with others. See the charts below for more about this data.  Click the images to enlarge them.  To learn about and purchase the full results of this study, please click here.

Click Chart to Enlarge

Click Chart to Enlarge