Consumer expenditure on health products and services in the UK reached £35.5 billion in 2025, according to Statista.
It is a significant and fast-moving market. New products, technologies and sources of advice are changing how people manage their health. Brands and researchers need to understand what consumers want, what they trust and what shapes their decisions.
Good consumer health market research can provide those answers. But first, you need to decide who you want to hear from.
A clear audience brief supports successful consumer health research recruitment. It helps you find people with relevant experiences, set realistic criteria and design research they can take part in comfortably.
Here are six things to consider.
1. Start with the research objective
It is tempting to begin with demographics.
“We need 30 people aged 25 to 45.”
But what makes those people relevant?
Start with the decision the research needs to inform. You might want to understand a consumer journey, explore an unmet need, test a proposition or investigate why people stop using a product.
The objective should shape the audience.
If you want to understand why people stopped taking a supplement, for example, recruiting current users will not answer the same question.
You may also need to look beyond product use. How much do they usually spend? Is your product more expensive than the alternatives they buy? Are they positive about the brand, unfamiliar with it or actively avoiding it?
Previous behaviour, spending habits and brand perception could all be more useful than age alone.
Starting with demographics can leave you with people who look right on paper but have little relevant experience. Define what matters first, then use demographics to shape the mix where they add value.
2. Define the relevant experience and behaviour
Consumer health audiences are rarely defined by demographics alone.
You might be looking for consumers who have lost weight. But how did they do it, and what motivated them?
Some may have changed their diet or become more active. Others may have joined a commercial programme or used GLP-1 medication. Their priorities could include appearance, mobility, confidence or reducing a health risk.
These differences need to appear in the audience brief as clear criteria. For example:
- Lost weight within the past 12 months
- Used or considered a particular method
- Made changes for a specific reason
- Currently maintaining, continuing or stopping that approach
Our GLP-1 pulse survey is a useful example of why apparently similar consumers can have very different motivations and experiences.
Avoid broad labels such as “health conscious” or “proactive about health” too. They are subjective, so two people can use the same label to describe very different habits.
Most of us present our habits in a slightly more positive light when asked. We see this often in recruitment. Objective questions usually tell you more than asking someone to give themselves a vague label.
Instead, ask:
- What have they done?
- How recently?
- How often?
- What prompted them?
- Have they continued, switched or stopped?
If the screener only asks whether someone considers themselves health conscious, the audience definition probably is not finished.
3. Think about where people are in their journey
People at different stages of a consumer health journey may have very different needs and concerns.
Depending on the project, you might need people at different stages of that journey:
- Beginning to research
- Actively considering an option
- Trying something for the first time
- Using it regularly
- Switching
- Lapsing or stopping
- Choosing not to act
Do not automatically focus on the most engaged consumers.
Someone who considered a product but decided against it could reveal concerns around cost, trust or access. Previous users may highlight problems that regular users no longer notice.
Once you have identified the stages that matter, define them clearly. “Considering” could mean anything from briefly noticing a product to actively comparing prices and reading reviews.
Clear definitions will help everyone screen participants consistently.
4. Be clear about what is essential
Audience criteria can grow quickly.
Age. Location. Condition. Product use. Journey stage. Income. Attitude.
Each requirement may sound reasonable on its own. Combined, they can create an audience that is extremely difficult to find.
Separate your criteria into:
- Essential: Participants must meet these requirements.
- Useful: These will provide a helpful spread of perspectives.
- Flexible: These can change if they restrict recruitment unnecessarily.
Ask your recruitment partner to review feasibility early. They can flag conflicting criteria, advise on likely incidence and identify where flexibility could help.
Leaving this until recruitment begins can lead to delays, increased costs or rushed changes to the sample. It is much easier to have that conversation while the brief is still being developed.
5. Design research people can take part in
Finding someone who meets the criteria is only one part of consumer health research recruitment. You also need to consider whether the research works for them.
Ask:
- Can participants reach and navigate the venue?
- Is the online platform compatible with assistive technology?
- Are the instructions and consent materials accessible?
- Is the session length appropriate?
- Will participants need additional breaks?
- Could a carer or support person attend?
- Should that person also receive an incentive?
- Is the recruitment method suitable for this audience?
- Is the timeframe realistic?
- Do participants understand what the research involves and how their information will be used?
- Have you planned how consent will be recorded and whether a confidentiality agreement is needed?
- Have participants been told whether and how they can withdraw if they change their mind?
We once supported a project involving a participant with a visual impairment. The session was taking place in a university lab inside a large, busy building.
We suggested that someone from the client team meet the participant at the nearest Tube station. This helped the participant feel more comfortable and reduced the risk of a late start. It also helped the client make full use of the specialist room and equipment they had hired.
Small adjustments can make a big difference. But the right support will vary, so ask participants what would help rather than making assumptions.
Consider the method and timeframe too. A three-hour workshop may not work for someone affected by fatigue or pain. A Teams interview will not be accessible if the platform or materials are incompatible with their screen reader.
Some audiences may be reached through charities or community organisations but will not be realistic to recruit digitally within two weeks. Accessibility should shape the method, budget and timeline from the beginning.
The MRS Best Practice Guide on Accessible Data provides more guidance on designing accessible research.
6. Only collect the health information you need
Consumer health recruitment may require information about someone’s health, disability or mental health. This is special category data and needs additional care.
The MRS Best Practice Guide on collecting data about physical disabilities and mental health conditions recommends checking that the information has a clear research purpose and is relevant, proportionate and not excessive.
When developing your brief and screener:
- Explain why health-related questions are being asked.
- Collect only the detail needed to establish eligibility or arrange support.
- Avoid requesting medical records or clinical evidence without a clear reason.
- Give participants context before asking sensitive questions.
- Include “don’t know” and “prefer not to say” where appropriate.
- Explain how the information will be used and protected.
- Consider whether a Data Protection Impact Assessment or ethics review is needed.
The aim is not to build a medical profile. It is to confirm whether someone’s experience is relevant and understand what they need to take part.
Keep these questions separate:
- What health experience makes this person relevant?
- What support would help them participate?
One answer will not necessarily give you the other.
Consumer health audience brief checklist
Before sharing your brief, check:
- Is the audience linked to the research objective?
- Have you defined the relevant experience and behaviour?
- Which journey stages need to be represented?
- Which criteria are essential and which are flexible?
- Is the audience realistically recruitable?
- Is the venue, technology and format accessible?
- Are the session length and tasks appropriate?
- Might participants need a carer or support person?
- Are you collecting only the health information you need?
- Is the recruitment timeframe realistic?
How Angelfish can help
At Angelfish, we help research teams turn broad audience descriptions into clear, recruitable criteria.
We can support you with feasibility, screener development, project management and participant recruitment across interviews, focus groups, digital diaries, ethnography and longitudinal research.
The right participant needs to meet the criteria. They also need to be able to take part in a way that works for them.
Planning consumer health research?
From defining your audience to recruiting and supporting the right participants, careful planning can make all the difference.
Explore our consumer health market research services.
Further reading
Explore more of our consumer health research resources:
