Consumer perceptions of medical information sources: an application of multidimensional scaling

• Published in: Health marketing quarterly Vol. 10; no. 3-4; p. 83
• Main Author: Bunn, M D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01.01.1993
• Subjects: Consumer Behavior - statistics & numerical data; Data Interpretation, Statistical; Factor Analysis, Statistical; Female; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Information Services - classification; Information Services - statistics & numerical data; Information Services - utilization; Male; Marketing of Health Services - methods; Marketing of Health Services - statistics & numerical data; New York; Surveys and Questionnaires; New York
• ISSN: 0735-9683
• DOI: 10.1300/J026v10n03_07

Multidimensional scaling is widely used in marketing research to characterize the perceived relationships among a set of consumer products. The technique is also well suited to study a number of issues that are of interest to health care marketers. This paper explains multidimensional scaling and provides an illustrative example of a health care application. In the research study reported here, the perceptions of various sources of medical information give important insights to a health care organization that is designing a new medical information service for consumers. Other potential applications of the technique for health care marketing are also explored.