OBJECTIVES: Understanding how to develop marketing messages for Health care consumers presents a constant challenge for pharmaceutical companies. By using patient reported outcomes data, the objective of this study was to segment the various types of Health care consumers and uncover each group's receptiveness to pharmaceutical advertising. METHODS: An annual, self-reported study of U.S. consumer attitudes and behaviors was fielded in June 2002 and included 30,213 adult respondents. We stratified and weighted the sample by key demographics. We then conducted a cluster analysis on 20 Health care opinions designed to evaluate health-related compliance and proactivity. RESULTS: Health care consumers segmented into five clusters based on a variety of patient reported outcomes: attitudes, opinions, demographics, and Health care resource use. Brand Believers (22% or 44.5 Million) endorse the brand contract and are most receptive to marketing efforts. Rockwellians (24% or 49 Million) are driven by trust and value the relationship with their physician. What-Me Worry? (18% or 37.2 Million) are quite confident in their ability to obtain the appropriate Health care. Young and Angry (18% or 36.5 Million) have been let down in someway by the Health care system. Novice Nellies (18% or 36.8 Million) require training to interpret Health care messages. CONCLUSIONS: Patient reported outcomes data can assist pharmaceutical companies profile and understand each consumer segment. This analysis reveals that two specific segments (Brand Believers and Rockwellian) or 93.5 Million U.S. consumers are more receptive to pharmaceutical marketing efforts than the other three segments. Further analysis of these two consumer segments within a specific therapeutic condition would yield additional insight into the attitudes and behaviors of each group.