The Power of Women for Healthcare Brands: Lifetime Value
The Economic Power of Women Caregivers
75%
Discretionary Spending
Women are projected to control three-quarters of all discretionary spending by 2028, representing a massive economic force.
80%
Healthcare Decisions
Women make the vast majority of healthcare decisions in households, acting as primary health gatekeepers for kids, spouses and aging parents.
$15T
Purchasing Power
Women over 50 represent an often-overlooked "super-consumer" demographic with tremendous buying influence.
$66B
Market Growth
The global women's health market is expected to reach $66 billion by 2033, showing substantial growth potential.
Women as Care Managers for Families
Women don't just manage their own healthcare—they coordinate comprehensive care journeys for entire families. This multiplier effect significantly increases their value as healthcare consumers.
Family Care Coordinator
95% of U.S. household healthcare purchasing decisions are made by women, from selecting providers to scheduling appointments.
Sandwich Generation
Midlife women often simultaneously manage healthcare for children, spouses, and aging parents, creating complex multi-generational care needs.
Total Lifetime Value of a Female Consumer
The true value of a female healthcare consumer extends far beyond her personal medical needs. Women spend approximately 18% more on their own healthcare than men in the US, but this represents only the tip of the iceberg.
When factoring in their role as healthcare decision-makers, a single midlife woman can direct hundreds of thousands of dollars in lifetime revenue to health systems through care coordination for 4-5 family members. This multiplier effect makes women the most valuable customer segment in healthcare - and puts pressure on your homepage to make a good first impression and on your UX and across touch points so she stays with you for the long haul.
Quantifiable Market Opportunity
The women's health segment is growing at a CAGR of 4.8%, with industry analysts estimating that 95% of the women's health market remains untapped potential as of 2025. Direct-to-consumer femtech investment reached $2.6 billion in 2024, highlighting the financial opportunity in addressing women's specific healthcare needs.
Gaps and Needs: Where Traditional Healthcare Falls Short
Midlife Care Gaps
Despite controlling most healthcare decisions, women experience significant care gaps, particularly around perimenopause and midlife health transitions. These represent crucial intervention points for building lifelong brand loyalty.
Quality of Life Disparities
Women spend approximately 25% more time in poor health than men over their lifetimes, indicating substantial unmet needs that innovative healthcare providers can address.
Digital Experience Gaps
Most mainstream healthcare digital experiences fail to acknowledge women's unique needs and preferences, creating opportunities for platforms that genuinely understand their decision-making processes. And women are far more likely than men to share healthcare experiences, recommend providers, and leave online reviews—amplifying both good and bad interactions.
Digital Access and Decision-Making Behaviors
Women demonstrate distinct patterns in how they access and engage with healthcare resources online. Understanding these behaviors is crucial for designing effective digital experiences that convert and retain female consumers.
  • Women are 33% more likely than men to seek medical services and information online
  • They show strong preference for comprehensive, trustworthy digital health tools that address whole-family needs
  • Female consumers adopt virtual care models and telehealth at higher rates when the experience is tailored to their preferences
How The She Lab Drives Acquisition and Retention
User Research
Our methodology is grounded in real behavior patterns of women care decision-makers across life stages, not assumptions or stereotypes. Our diverse panel of 600+ women includes 50% women of color and LGBTQ+ women from generations Alpha to Boomer.
UX/UI Design
We help inform digital experiences that are tailored to multi-generational health journeys, acknowledging women's roles as family care coordinators. Our FEMME filter can diagnose current assets and help optimize them, and our SHE SHIFT framework helps you build user experiences from scratch, specifically to meet the needs of your target customers.
Rapid Prototyping
Iterative testing centered on empathy and trust ensures our solutions resonate with women's actual needs and preferences.
The She Lab specializes in creating digital healthcare experiences that recognize women's unique decision-making processes and care coordination responsibilities, leading to higher acquisition rates, minimizing leakage and ultimately, driving customer lifetime value.
Conclusion: Women as the Cornerstone of Health Industry Growth
Healthcare companies that invest in understanding and serving women consumers see substantially higher returns on investment—up to 300% growth compared to industry averages. This isn't just about "pink" marketing; it's about fundamentally redesigning digital experiences to acknowledge women's central role in healthcare decisions.
The She Lab enables health brands to build lasting loyalty with their most valuable consumers by creating digital experiences that truly understand the complex needs of women as they navigate healthcare for themselves and their loved ones.
Come re-think your user experiences with us!