Part of Public attitudes to data in the NHS and social care
Overview of segmentation
We were most interested in understanding how we can segment the population, based on attitudes and behaviours towards health data use. This approach helped us to identify six distinctive groups of individuals based on their demographics, attitudes, levels of understanding and behaviours.
On this page you can see and overall summary of the 6 segments, as well as overall demographic profiles across the segments. We then have dedicated pages for each of the segments, which include summaries of their profiles and what matters most to them, which we explored through additional interviews and group discussions.
Comparing the segments
| Segment | % of respondents | Summary of segment sentiment |
|---|---|---|
| Confident data enthusiasts | 21% | “There is so much potential good that can come from sharing patient data, both for myself and others, and so the NHS should use it as they see fit” |
| Neutral followers | 20% | “I haven’t really thought about it, but I trust the NHS so I guess it’s fine if they use my patient data” |
| Cautious data sharers | 14% | “Having experience using the NHS and caring for others, I understand the value of data to myself and others, but I worry about the NHS’ ability to keep mine safe” |
| Unfamiliar and unsure | 11% | “I can’t keep up with all of these new concepts, and even though I have great faith in the NHS, I don’t feel in control of my own data” |
| Disengaged and health data protective | 23% | “I don't understand why the NHS needs my data, so I'd prefer not to share it with them” |
| NHS and privacy sceptics | 10% | “I don’t want anyone to access my data because I don’t trust institutions generally” |
Presented here are several charts and graphs which highlight some of the crucial differences in the demographics and behaviors of the different segments. This is designed to present an overview and comparison across the segments; you can read a more detailed summary of each segment in the next chapters.
This graph shows a comparison of the segments across age ranges, from youngest to oldest.
It shows that:
- Neutral Followers have the highest representation in the youngest age bracket (from 16 to 25)
- Cautious Data Sharers and Confident Data Enthusiasts have the highest representation from 25 to 34
- NHS and Privacy Sceptics have the highest representation from 55 to 64
- 82% of the Unfamiliar and Unsure segment are older than 65
This graph shows a comparison socio-economic status across the segments. Socio-economic status is a classification used by the Office for National Statistics and is mainly based on occupation.
Social Grade has six possible classifications (A, B, C1, C2, D and E). Our groupings below reflect census data which use a combined, four-way classification:
- AB: Higher and intermediate managerial, administrative and professional occupations
- C1: Supervisory, clerical, and junior managerial, administrative and professional occupations
- C2: Skilled manual occupations
- DE: Semi-skilled and unskilled manual occupations; unemployed and lowest grade occupations
It shows that:
- there are higher percentages of people in the DE category in the Unfamiliar and Unsure segment, and the NHS and Privacy Sceptics segments
- there are higher percentages of people in the AB category in the Confident Data Enthusiasts and Cautious Data Sharers segments
This graph shows the level of education attained across the segments.
It shows:
- higher levels of degree level education in the first three segments – Confident Data Enthusiast, Neutral Followers and Cautious Data Sharers
- the highest level of degree holders is within the Cautious Data Sharers
- lower levels of degree education in the remaining segments
This graph shows the ethnicity of respondents.
It shows that:
- there are higher levels of black and minority ethnic respondents in the Cautious Data Sharers and Disengaged and Health Data Protective segments
- there are lower levels of black and minority ethnic respondents in the Confident Data Enthusiasts and the Unfamiliar and Unsure segments
This graph compares the percentage of each segment who report having a disability.
It shows that:
- there are higher levels of disability in the Unfamiliar and Unsure segment
- there are lower levels of disability in the Disengaged and Health Data Protective
This graph shows the percentage of respondents who are confident online.
It shows that:
- there are higher levels of respondents who were confident online in the first three segments – Confident Data Enthusiast, Neutral Followers and Cautious Data Sharer
- there are low rates of online confidence in the Unfamiliar and Unsure segment
Last edited: 8 May 2024 5:11 pm