Segmentation of Health-Care Consumers: Psychological Determinants of Subjective Health and Other Person-related Variables.

In addition to the personalization of medical treatment, there is an observable, growing trend toward tailoring support programs more closely to individuals. Supportive programs are non-medical programs that – in addition to medical treatment or intervention – intend to help improve patients’ health status. The segmentation model developed by Bloem & Stalpers (2012) may serve as a solid basis for such an approach. The model is not designed for or based on a general population; it is instead focused on individuals’ ‘health experience’ and is therefore a ‘cross-disease’ model. This model is based on the main psychological determinants of subjective health: acceptance and perceived control. The model identifies four segments of health-care consumers, based on high or low values on these determinants. The focus of the present study is to get insights into how the four segments differ in terms of person-related variables, such as socio-demographic and socio-economic variables. In the study, several relationships between segments and person-related variables have been identified. Based on these outcomes, unique profiles have been formed for each of the four segments. Applications of the profile-enriched model in daily practice and recommendations for further research are suggested.