Online DTC and health information seeking: We are talking. But to whom are we talking?

In this paper we review the weak theoretical foundations for understanding medical information seeking, and then focus on the concept of health literacy and e-health literacy. Based on a selection of internet-derived general... [ view full abstract ]

In this paper we review the weak theoretical foundations for understanding medical information seeking, and then focus on the concept of health literacy and e-health literacy. Based on a selection of internet-derived general health and wellbeing as well as disease specific information, we show that almost all of the material reviewed is written in language too complex for the majority of the general public to comprehend. Recommendations for guiding information seeking and a research agenda to help inform practice and policy debate conclude the paper.