Workers relying more on employer for health information: survey

Washington – More workers are seeking health information from their employer, according to a survey released Feb. 1 from the National Business Group on Health.

The survey, which included 1,538 workers who receive health care benefits from their employer or union, found 75 percent of workers used their employer as a resource for medical and health information in 2010, an increase from 54 percent in 2007. More than two-thirds of workers considered their employer to be a trustworthy source of health information.

“The amount of health care information that consumers need to sift through just to know what they should be doing seems endless and daunting,” said Helen Darling, president and CEO of NBGH, which represents large employers’ perspectives on national health policy issues. “Our survey shows that workers want their employers to play a role in helping them access medical information about their health and how to make good treatment decisions from sources which are objective, trustworthy and reliable.”