Google influence second to doctors

Americans rely on Google searches as a source of healthcare information, second only to physicians, according to a survey conducted in April by Capstrat and Public Policy Polling.

Twenty-two percent of respondents said they consider Google searches "influential" in seeking health information. Doctors, at 44 percent in reported influence, were named more than twice as often as nurses, pharmacists, advocacy groups, and friends or family members.

Seventy-one percent of respondents judged Web content of health advocacy groups as "somewhat reliable" or "extremely reliable," higher than the 59 percent who said they felt that way about basic Google searches.