Report: The way the younger generation obtains medical and health information is digital

China News Service, Beijing, November 12 (Reporter Liu Liang) A report released by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) on the 12th showed that the way the younger generation obtains medical and health information shows distinct digital characteristics.

The report, titled "Consumerization of Healthcare: How Patients Are Reshaping the Industry," is based on BCG's survey of nearly 10,000 consumers in ten markets around the world. It provides an in-depth exploration of the trends in consumerization of healthcare and consumers' growing expectations in terms of medical service selection, information access, transparency, and service experience. The survey covered Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The report points out that nearly half of the respondents regard medical and health products as ordinary consumer goods, just like goods purchased in supermarkets or online retail platforms; about two-thirds of the respondents hope to have more autonomy in the choice of treatment options and medical expenses, and more than 60% of the respondents expect medical services to be as convenient as those in the retail industry. This trend reflects the changing role of patients in healthcare decisions and has new implications for biopharmaceutical companies, medical technology companies and healthcare providers.

Chris Meier, BCG managing director and global senior partner, said that the trend of global healthcare consumerization is becoming increasingly significant. Consumer-Patients are driving the reshaping of industry rules and have higher expectations for the intuitiveness, response speed, convenience and personalization of medical services. Companies that can adapt to this trend will no longer regard patients as just passive recipients of medical services, but as important subjects with sufficient information, more autonomy, and active participation in their own medical decisions.

The way the younger generation obtains medical and health information shows more distinct digital characteristics. The survey shows that 52% of "Millennial" respondents prefer to obtain health information instantly through AI or online channels, which is slightly higher than the 47% of "Generation Z". In terms of awareness of medical and health products, 53% of Millennials and 52% of Generation Z respondents believe that drugs, pharmaceutical preparations and other medical and health products are similar to daily consumer products, while the proportions among Generation X and Baby Boomers are 41% and 31% respectively.