In healthcare strategy, we often talk about market share, service line growth, and competitive positioning. But there’s a critical layer of insight that’s frequently overlooked how patients actually spend their healthcare dollars.

Understanding patient spend—what services they use, where they go, and how much they pay—can unlock smarter decisions across planning, investment, and engagement. It’s not just about volume; it’s about value.

What Is “Consumer Share of Wallet” in Healthcare?

Consumer Share of Wallet refers to the portion of a patient’s total healthcare spend that goes to your organization versus competitors. It’s a concept borrowed from retail and adapted to healthcare to help systems:

• Quantify their true market presence
• Identify high-value patient segments
• Spot gaps in service coverage
• Benchmark performance against peers

This goes beyond traditional utilization metrics. It’s about understanding financial behavior—which conditions drive the most spend, which service locations are most efficient, and which demographics represent untapped opportunity.

Why It Matters for Strategy and Growth

Health systems operating in long-cycle environments need to make every strategic move count. With insights into consumer spend, leaders can:

• Prioritize service line investments based on actual market demand
• Design targeted interventions that resonate with high-spending cohorts
• Optimize resource allocation to improve margins and patient outcomes
• Strengthen competitive positioning by identifying where they’re losing share—and why

Imagine knowing not just how many patients you serve, but how much of their total healthcare spend you capture. That’s the kind of clarity that drives confident, data-backed decisions.

Want to explore how this works in practice?

Download the overview to see how IQVIA’s Consumer Share of Wallet solution helps health systems turn patient spend insights into strategic advantage.