- New Global Survey by BCG Reveals That Nearly Half of Consumers Regard Health Care Products as Just Another Consumer Good, and More Than 60% Expect Retail-Like Convenience from Providers
- China and India Lead BCG’s Health Care Consumerization Index, While Japan Ranks Last on Consumerization Among Ten Markets Surveyed
- More Than Half of Millennials Prefer Instant AI or Online Health Information over Waiting for Advice from a Health Care Professional
- Gender Differences Vary by Country, with Women Leading Consumerization in China
BOSTON—Nearly half of consumers around the world consider health care products just another consumer good, like something purchased in a supermarket or from an online retailer. In addition, roughly two-thirds want greater control over their treatment choices and costs, and more than 60% expect the same level of convenience from health care that they receive from retail businesses.
These are among the findings of a new report by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) titled The Consumerization of Health Care: How Patients Are Reshaping the Industry. Based on a global survey of nearly 10,000 consumers across ten markets (Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Switzerland, the UAE, the UK, and the US), the report spotlights a shift in how patients approach health care, with growing expectations for choice, transparency, personalization, and access to information.
The report also examines how consumer attitudes are influencing health care decisions and what these changes mean for biopharma companies, medical technology companies, and health care providers.
“Growing consumerization across the world means consumer-patients are reshaping the rules and increasingly expect more intuitive, responsive, convenient, and personalized health care experiences,” said Chris Meier, managing director and senior partner at BCG and a coauthor of the report. “Companies that adapt successfully will treat patients not simply as recipients of health care, but as informed, empowered participants who have an active and growing role in decisions about their care.”
Consumerization Levels Vary Widely Around the World
BCG developed a health care consumerization index to measure the extent to which consumers across markets expect greater convenience, control, and access to information. The index combines six survey measures and scores countries on a scale of 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating stronger consumerization attitudes.
The findings reveal substantial differences across the ten markets surveyed:
- China leads the index, with a score of 72, followed by India at 66, the UAE at 63, and Brazil at 62.
- The US ranks highest among the surveyed countries with more established health care systems, scoring 56, ahead of the UK (49), Switzerland (47), Germany (45), and France (41).
- Japan, with the oldest population of the ten surveyed countries, recorded the lowest score (36).
- Brazilian consumers express the strongest desire for greater choice, with 82% saying that they want more control over their health care decisions, the highest proportion of any surveyed market.
Younger Generations Are Redefining How Patients Access Health Information
The shift toward greater patient involvement is particularly pronounced among younger generations, whose expectations are increasingly shaped by digital services and immediate access to information. Millennials are the generation most likely to prefer an instant AI or online answer to waiting for a health care professional (52% of respondents), placing them slightly ahead of younger Gen Z-ers (47%). Baby boomers are the least likely to share that preference, at just 25%.
Generational differences also extend to perceptions of health care products, with 53% of millennials and 52% of Gen Z respondents agreeing that medicines, pharmaceuticals, and other health care products are comparable to everyday consumer goods. This compares with 41% of Gen X respondents and 31% of baby boomers.
Gender Differences Reveal Uneven Patterns Across Markets
Although men and women express broadly similar attitudes toward health care consumerization in most countries, the survey reveals some differences. In China, which shows the greatest difference in responses by gender, women score an average of 9 points higher than men on the index. In most other surveyed countries, gender differences are less than 5 percentage points on the majority of questions. Across the ten markets surveyed, men are slightly more likely than women to consider medical information obtained online as reliable as information provided by a health care professional, at 42% versus 38%.
Income Shapes Willingness to Pay, but Demand for Convenience Spans Income Groups
Nearly half (48%) of higher-income respondents say that they are willing to pay out of pocket for certain health and well-being products such as GLP-1 drugs, compared with 31% of lower-income respondents.
However, expectations for greater convenience and control extend across income groups. Among higher-income respondents, 65% expect retail-like convenience and customer service from health care providers, compared with 57% of lower-income respondents. Similarly, 69% of higher-income respondents and 62% of lower-income respondents want more control over their treatment, medicines, and care options.
“Products may blur the line between traditional health care and consumer categories like cosmetics, lifestyle, and fitness, but health care decisions are fundamentally different: more complex, with potentially serious consequences,” said Sabrina Kristic, a managing director and senior partner at BCG and a coauthor of the report. “Leading organizations will provide consumer-patients with greater choice, convenience, and transparency while preserving clinical quality, equity, and outcomes.”
Media Contact:
Eric Gregoire
gregoire.eric@bcg.com
