80% of Consumers Say They Want Greater Control Over Their Health Management, According to Survey Cited in New IPO Filing

In 2014, Ipsos Group, in collaboration with the U.S. National Council on Patient Information and Education (NCPIE) and Pfizer, conducted a survey on consumers’ health awareness. The survey was carried out from September 25 to October 15, targeting 2,024 adults aged 18 and older across the United States, as well as 516 primary care physicians. VCBeat has compiled the key findings of the survey to illustrate today’s consumers’ level of attention to and understanding of their own health.

Survey results indicate that the majority of consumers are willing to assume greater autonomy over their health. Specifically, 64% of respondents stated that they might make more independent decisions regarding their health; 88% expressed confidence in their ability to take responsibility for their own health; and 89% reported knowing which resources to utilize when facing health-related questions or concerns.

Respondents also expressed that they value the sense of autonomy over their own health—92% stated that they like being in control of their health, and 80% indicated that they now feel a stronger desire to manage their own health than ever before. The vast majority of respondents agreed that self-care is closely linked to a sense of responsibility for one’s own health, and that this sense of responsibility is a vital component of achieving holistic well-being.

“Survey results indicate that people are increasingly eager to manage their own health and personally make a series of important health decisions for themselves and their loved ones,” said Ray Bullman, Executive Vice President of NCPIE, in a statement. “In addition to collaborating with healthcare professionals, consumers are actively seeking various ways to treat, diagnose, and manage their health conditions. They need more information and tools to better facilitate self-management of their health.”

When asked about their selection of over-the-counter (OTC) medications, some respondents expressed uncertainty. Thirty-eight percent of respondents indicated that they did not feel they had sufficient information to “confidently decide” which OTC medication to use; 56% stated that they would seek advice from their physicians, pharmacists, or other healthcare providers before making a choice; and 59% of respondents said they would self-select OTC medications to treat acute symptoms.

67% of respondents stated that they would research their own health issues and symptoms; 64% indicated that they would track health metrics such as weight and blood pressure; 95% associated self-care with healthy lifestyle habits, such as dietary control and exercise; the majority of respondents considered self-care to involve participating in health screenings, engaging in preventive care, consulting physicians, and making decisions related to health issues.