Decision Point: Evaluating Post$-$Surgical Treatment

Your first step in pursuing expansion is to do some marketing research. After some initial consideration and research into what services are currently available in the area, you identify three potential growth opportunities for the physical therapy center.

The first potential growth opportunity is to increase the types of patients you serve. Remember that the center's current focus is back pain and orthopedics, therapy for those recovering from injury. You would like to consider expanding to provide therapy for people who are recovering from surgery for conditions that affect mobility and strength. The first potential growth opportunity is to add post$-$surgical rehabilitation and physical therapy.

You plan to purchase some marketing data from a marketing research company, but you have a limited budget, so you want to make wise choices in purchasing the data.

Of the choices shown, which would you consider to be the most important in evaluating the potential of this growth opportunity?

Select an option from the choices below.

Percentage of area households with children

Percentage of area population that has arthritis

Percentage of area population age $65$ and older

Percentage of area population that is male vs$.$ female