Most Minnesotans turn to friends, books and the media for secondary healthcare information, according to a VitalSigns survey by Allina Health System in Minneapolis.
Although physicians are considered the primary resource, citizens here rely heavily on friends (33%), news coverage (27%), books (23%), advertising (9%) and the Internet (6%) for health information.
Physicians seem to welcome the trend toward more educated consumers:
- More than 60% of those surveyed say their physician deals with the issues they raise in a straightforward manner.
- 10% thought their doctor felt somewhat annoyed by an outside perspective on health issues.
- 27% did not mention outside sources when they visited their physicians.
The Allina survey, conducted by RMA Research, was based on random responses from 500 adults.
(Allina Health System, 612/422-6135, www.allina.com)