Table 1 Gabriel and Lang's faces of consumerism [14] in the context of healthcare.

Consumer as chooser

Makes an active and informed decision, selecting a healthcare option from a number of other options.

Consumer as communicator

Use of a form of healthcare conveys social and cultural meanings to others possibly involving social status.

Consumer as explorer

A particular form of healthcare is something new to be tried, amongst a universe of many possible new experiences.

Consumer as identity-seeker

The choice to use a particular form of healthcare contributes to the construction of a particular social identity.

Consumer as hedonist

Uses a particular form of healthcare to experience its positive emotional effects.

Consumer as victim

Is vulnerable and requires protection from unscrupulous healthcare practitioners or providers who might defraud them or otherwise cause harm.

Consumer as rebel

Uses a particular (unorthodox) form of healthcare as a form of resistance and rebellion against other (more mainstream) forms of healthcare.

Consumer as activist

Uses a particular form of healthcare as part of a broader political movement to challenge the status quo.

Consumer as citizen

Whose choice to use a particular form of healthcare is made within a community and thus has moral and social implications.