Health Policy

Americans' pursuit of health takes place within a widening network of both online and offline sources.

The swine flu story quickly topped the American media agenda when the story broke in late April. How did coverage in other countries compare with the U.S.? Was there any correlation between the number of confirmed cases and quantity or nature of coverage? How did Spanish-language media in the U.S. react? A new report examining press coverage of the outbreak in several countries offers answers.

Overview Centrism has emerged as a dominant factor in public opinion as the Obama era begins. The political values and core attitudes that the Pew Research Center has monitored since 1987 show little overall ideological movement. Republicans and Democrats are even more divided than in the past, while the growing political middle is steadfastly mixed […]

The public ranks the internet most useful as a source of information on the virus. Where and how are people finding flu facts online?

Participatory medicine is taking hold with both citizens and health professionals. But there are still pockets of people who lack access to the basic technology, lack the skills required to participate, or who may lack the sense that they are welc...

Technology is changing how patients navigate their health care experience. New survey data shows how e-patients are using social media to connect to each other and to information.

New survey data shows that not only is there a participatory class of citizen, but there is a participatory class of patient.

This talk presents an overview of Pew Internet project data on teens and social media, including teen tech tool ownership, communication patterns over social networks and mobile phones as well analysis of how young adults 18-29 seeking health info...

While many say they light up to relieve stress, half of all smokers say they "frequently" experience stress in their daily lives, compared with just 35% of those who once smoked and have now quit, and 31% of those who never smoked.

Overview Most Americans believe that the nation’s health care system is in need of substantial changes. But there is less support for completely rebuilding the health care system than there was in April 1993, during the early stage of the Clinton administration’s unsuccessful effort to revamp health care. Still, the public continues to favor the […]