The Deloitte Center for Health Solutions’ 2008 Survey of Health Care Consumers employed a unique strategy and rigorous methodology to assess adult consumers’ behaviors, attitudes and unmet needs for four sectors – providers, health plans, life sciences organizations and public sector.

Strategy
The study was designed to address five distinct zones of consumer activity – Traditional Health Services, Self-Directed Care, Alternative and Non-conventional Health Services, Financing and Information Seeking – with the understanding that consumers in each zone have different approaches, attitudes and preferences related to each.  Across these zones, the survey included a broad range of questions related to health, health care and health insurance. To optimize objectivity, the questionnaire first inquired about consumers’ behaviors, then asked about their attitudes and unmet needs. 

Each zone of activity represents a distinct set of behaviors and attitudes that reflect the opportunities and experiences consumers have in seeking health care services from providers, choosing specific treatments and selecting insurance programs.  Combined, they present a holistic view of health care consumerism that facilitates an understanding of potential inconsistencies between actions and opinions, preferences for services not perceived to be readily available, and perspectives on the importance of price, quality and service to consumers’ purchasing decisions.

Methodology
A nationally representative sample of 3,031 adults ages 18 years and older was surveyed between September 10 and 23, 2007, using a web-based questionnaire.  The results were weighted to assure proportional representation similar to the U.S. Census across all major demographic groups.  The sample size allows for estimation with a 1.8 percent margin of error at the .95 confidence level.   

Using factor analysis to examine the relationships and variation among 173 variables reflecting salient behaviors and attitudes, the population was segmented into six discrete segments of the U.S. consumer market – each with unique behavioral and attitudinal characteristics. 

Related Content
Executive Summary: 2008 Survey of Health Care Consumers
Consumer Segments: Segmentation Scheme
Overview: Center for Health Solutions