Generational Differences in Patients’ Health Journeys

Younger Generations Increasingly Start on Social Media, While Older Ones Are More Likely to Use Search Engines

Report by Dane Finley  | Sep 4, 2024
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Executive Summary
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Table of Contents
Executive Summary
What is the patient journey?
Sources of research and discovery vary by generation
A variety of factors influence how patients access care and purchase treatments
Trust in providers and pharmacists breeds patient loyalty
What it means for healthcare and pharma marketers
Sources
Media Gallery
About This Report
Each generation navigates its health journey differently. Here’s what marketers need to know about tailoring their strategies to reach Gen Zers, millennials, Gen Xers, and baby boomers at each stage.
Topics
Digital Health
Social Media Marketing
Marketing Tactics
US
Table of Contents
Executive Summary
What is the patient journey?
Sources of research and discovery vary by generation
A variety of factors influence how patients access care and purchase treatments
Trust in providers and pharmacists breeds patient loyalty
What it means for healthcare and pharma marketers
Sources
Media Gallery

When navigating their health journey, patients have an overwhelming number of options for finding medical information and making purchases. Marketers must tailor their engagement strategies via a unique mix of digital and traditional channels to best reach each patient generation.

Key Question: Where do US consumers typically begin their online research for medical information?

Channels Where US Consumers Typically Begin Online Research for Medical Information, by Generation, Dec 2023 (% of respondents)
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Key Stat: Gen Zers and millennials increasingly start their patient journeys on social media platforms, while Gen Xers and baby boomers are more likely to turn to search engines and medical information websites, according to our December 2023 US Digital Health survey.

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Table of Contents

  1. Executive Summary
  2. What is the patient journey?
  3. Sources of research and discovery vary by generation
  1. A variety of factors influence how patients access care and purchase treatments
  2. Trust in providers and pharmacists breeds patient loyalty
  3. What it means for healthcare and pharma marketers
  1. Sources
  2. Media Gallery

Charts in This Report

Channels Where US Consumers Typically Begin Online Research for Medical Information, by Generation, Dec 2023 (% of respondents)Media Where US Consumers See/Hear Healthcare Ads Most Often, by Generation, Dec 2023 (% of respondents)
US Consumers Who Use Social Media and AI to Begin Their Online Research for Medical Information, by Generation, Dec 2023 (% of respondents per group)Frequency With Which US Gen Z and Millennials Use Social Media Platforms to Look Up Health-Related Information*, Dec 2023 (% of respondents)
Social Media Platforms US Gen Z and Millennial Social Media Users Have Accessed for Health-Related Information, Dec 2023 (% of respondents)Actions Taken by US Consumers as a Result of Seeing/Hearing a Healthcare Ad, by Generation, Dec 2023 (% of respondents)
US Consumers Who Have Purchased a Subscription/Membership for Primary Care or Prescription Medication, by Generation, Dec 2023 (% of respondents)US Consumers Who View Select Healthcare Professionals and Entities as Extremely or Very Trustworthy*, Dec 2023 (% of respondents)

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authors

Dane Finley

Contributors

Donte Gibson
Senior Chart Editor
Rajiv Leventhal
Jennifer Pearson
VP, Research
Heather Sprung
Senior Editor
Sakina Thanawala
Paul Verna
VP, Content