Consumer Health

April 18, 2002 (Jacksonville OR): With heightened health consciousness, more
Americans are choosing to spend personal income on medical services that extend
beyond those recommended by their physicians. Another interesting development is
that proactive health care consumers aren't necessarily among the wealthiest
Americans. The popularity of cardiac and health diagnostic scans demonstrates this
trend, with market research and news organizations estimating that between 350,000
and 400,000 such scans may be conducted by year-end 2002.

Demand for cosmetic and laser eye surgery procedures also illustrates consumer
willingness to spend discretionary income on services that are not typically covered
by insurers or third-party payers. Extrapolation of survey data gathered by the
American Society For Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS; New York NY) suggests
that liposuction procedures alone accounted for almost $1.0 billion in
physician/surgeon fees in 2001. In the ophthalmology segment, 1.0+ million
Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK) surgeries were performed in 2001,
generating an estimated $1.3 billion.

The 175-page "Consumer-Driven Health Markets" report from Feedback Research
Services focuses on market segments involving elective dermatology, diagnostic
imaging, and ophthalmology procedures. Product markets are briefly summarized.
Analysis of growth rates, market trends, and revenues from 2001 through 2005
emphasizes individual and combined medical services that are promoted to
consumers by corporate entities, free standing facilities, health organizations,
hospitals, physicians, and/or specialists. Additional coverage highlights luxury
services offered in hospital pavilions and medical spas, as well as the potential future
role of e-health, interactive, and remote health monitoring.

Report purchasers receive quarterly updates through April 2003. An abridged Table Of
Contents is available at www.feed-back.com/consumerdriven.htm.