iPhones could become primary mobile device for medical information, study finds

IRVINE, Calif. — The number of consumers using iPhones to gather medical information has grown by 94% since 2011, according to a new study by online medical publishing company The Patient's Guide.

The study, based on engagement-behavior data on 12 million visitors to the site over two years, also found that the iPhone topped the list of mobile devices used to seek medical information online, accounting for 41% of total mobile traffic this year; the company predicts that the iPhone will surpass the desktop computer as the primary device for health information by 2014.

"Knowing that mobile activity has grown significantly over the past three years, we have paid close attention to the trends and patterns shaping the way consumers behave in this space," The Patient's Guide co-founder and CEO Jasson Gilmore said. "We have seen a sea change in the way consumers use mobile devices to research medical topics online. Physicians are now telling us it's common to see a patient who's reading questions from their iPhones."

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