The shift to managed markets has meant that whilst planners and purchasers of health and social services seek information on needs, managers who provide these services seek information on performance and response. Market research contributes to both.

This text is a comprehensive and rigorous introduction to the relevance, planning and management of market research in the areas of health and social care that have developed in Britain and most other industrialised countries. It features:

* an explanation of how managed markets provide the context for market...