Nielsen Launches 'Ailment Panels'

In the US, NielsenHealth has launched a series of 32 'Ailment Panels' to provide manufacturers and retailers with insights into consumer related attitudes and behaviours of patients suffering from diseases and medical conditions.

Data for the 32 panels is drawn from 110,000 US consumers identified as suffering from one or more ailments tracked by Nielsen, including allergy, gastro-intestinal and conditions like diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease. Each panel tracks individuals suffering a specific condition and their actual purchases, demographics, and critical patient facts relating to their specific conditions and treatment regimes.

As a subset of the Nielsen Homescan Panel which tracks the attitudes and behaviors of 125,000 US households, the Ailment Panels are able to capture panelist purchases of health related products together with other household purchases. The firm says that tapping in to such a large sample allows its clients to obtain granular insights at the brand and store level.

Matt Dumas, SVP and Managing Director of NielsenHealth, comments: 'Our Ailment Panels help manufacturers and retailers view patients as consumers in how and why they make the choices they do as a unique buyer group.'

NielsenHealth was launched in August 2007 to offer clients 'consumer centric' analytical tools to help them understand and address the attitudes, behaviors and needs of patients and physicians.

The group's web site is at www.nielsen.com .