BOSTON – November 12, 2026 -- Nearly half of consumers worldwide regard health care products as just another consumer good, and more than 60% expect the convenience of retail from health care providers, according to a Boston Consulting Group (BCG) survey of nearly 10,000 people. Roughly two-thirds want greater control over treatment choices and costs.
The report, titled The Consumerization of Health Care: How Patients Are Reshaping the Industry, covers ten markets: Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Switzerland, the UAE, the UK and the US. It assesses the implications for biopharma companies, medical technology companies and health care providers.
China scores 72 on BCG's consumerization index, while Japan ranks last at 36
BCG built an index from six survey measures, scored from 0 to 100, to gauge expectations of convenience, control and access to information. China leads at 72, followed by India (66), the UAE (63) and Brazil (62).
The US scores highest among countries with more established health care systems, at 56. It is followed by the UK (49), Switzerland (47), Germany (45) and France (41). Japan, which has the oldest population of the ten markets, scores lowest at 36.
Brazilian consumers show the strongest appetite for choice: 82% want more control over health care decisions, the highest share of any market surveyed.
Half of millennials prefer an instant AI or online answer to waiting for a clinician
Among millennials, 52% would rather have an instant AI or online answer than wait for a health care professional. Gen Z follows at 47%, and baby boomers are least likely to agree at 25%.
Views of health care products as everyday consumer goods split along similar lines. That view is shared by 53% of millennials and 52% of Gen Z, against 41% of Gen X and 31% of baby boomers.
Women in China score 9 points higher than men, the widest gender gap in the survey
Men and women hold broadly similar attitudes in most countries. In most markets, gender differences are under 5 percentage points on the majority of questions. Across all ten markets, 42% of men and 38% of women consider online medical information as reliable as advice from a health care professional.
Higher-income consumers are more willing to pay out of pocket, but convenience demands cut across income groups
Some 48% of higher-income respondents would pay out of pocket for certain health and well-being products such as GLP-1 drugs, compared with 31% of lower-income respondents.
Expectations of convenience and control are less divided. Retail-like convenience and customer service from providers is expected by 65% of higher-income and 57% of lower-income respondents. Wanting more control over treatment, medicines and care options are 69% of higher-income and 62% of lower-income respondents.
BCG senior partner Sabrina Kristic, a coauthor, noted that health care decisions remain "more complex, with potentially serious consequences" than purchases in categories such as cosmetics or fitness. She said leading organizations will need to offer more choice, convenience and transparency while preserving clinical quality, equity and outcomes.