Aug 29, 2014 09:34 PM EDT By J Baulkman, UniversityHerald Reporter

Educated consumers are increasingly turning to potentially unreliable online healthcare information, according to a recent study.

Researchers found that people are more likely to use forums, video-sharing sites, and peer support groups to gather anecdotal health-care information and advice, which may distract them from more reliable and trustworthy sources.

"Age, educational levels, and health status were significant predictors of a consumer's use of anecdotal information available on the Internet," said Kapil Chalil Madathil, co-author of the study and a research assistant professor at Clemson University's Department of Industrial Engineering.

In assessing the factors that influence a person's likelihood to seek health-care information online, Chalil Madathil and colleagues found that among more than 3,000 participants, younger consumers who attended four or more years of college were far more likely to reference online anecdotal information than were older individuals with a high school education or less. Additionally, respondents who reported poorer levels of health take to the Internet significantly more often than do those who are healthier.

The authors urge consumers to seek advice from a licensed medical professional and to use caution when searching for health information online.

"Consumers may be relying less on health-care providers, which creates the risk of receiving misleading, inaccurate, and untrustworthy information from unmoderated Internet sources," Chalil Madathil said. "It's critical for them to develop skills for accessing, comprehending, and effectively using this information."

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