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Healthcare Market ResearchCase 02 of 10Illustrative engagement

What drives specialists' treatment choices

A pharmaceutical company

  • RegionIndia
  • Scope20 interviews and 300 specialists
  • Timeline6 weeks
  • MarketsIndia
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Illustrative engagement. A representative scenario showing how we approach this kind of work in healthcare. It does not describe a specific client; outcomes are described qualitatively.

01

Industry overview

What is shaping healthcare

Hospitals, clinics, diagnostics and health-tech companies need evidence from patients and professionals, gathered with verified respondents and strict privacy.

  • Patients compare providers online
  • Diagnostics and telemedicine are growing
  • HCP opinion shapes referrals
02

Client background

A pharmaceutical company, working in India. This is an illustrative engagement: a representative scenario showing how we approach this kind of work, not a named client project.

Organisation
A pharmaceutical company
Sector
Healthcare
Team engaged
Market Research
Services
Healthcare panel, Quantitative research, Qualitative research
03

Client challenge

The company's new therapy was clinically strong but adoption was slow.

04

Research objectives

  • Answer the core question: what drives specialists' treatment choices.
  • Understand the views, needs and behaviour of specialists.
  • Measure how widespread each pattern is, and explain the reasons behind it.
  • Give the client evidence it can act on within 6 weeks.
05

Target audience

The work focused on 300 specialists.

  • specialists300

Audiences we typically reach in healthcare

Patients and caregiversDoctors and specialistsNurses and staffDiagnostics customersHealth-tech users

06

Geographic coverage

Coverage: India. Market: India.

  • India
07

Research methodology

A mixed-method design: structured research measured how widespread each pattern was, and qualitative conversations explained why.

  1. 1Brief
  2. 2Physician interviews
  3. 3Online survey
  4. 4Insight

We interviewed and surveyed verified specialists about treatment decisions, evidence needs and patient affordability.

Healthcare panelQuantitative researchQualitative research

08

Sampling strategy

specialists
300
  • Healthcare professionals and patients were screened on specialty, setting or condition, and professionals were verified before taking part.
  • Online respondents were drawn from verified panel members who matched the screening criteria, with quotas on key profile attributes.
  • Qualitative participants were recruited purposively to cover the full range of experiences that mattered, rather than for statistical representation.
09

Data collection

interviews
20
Brief & design Sampling & set-up Fieldwork Analysis Reporting Indicative split of the 6-week timeline.
  • The online survey was mobile-friendly and offered in respondents' languages.
  • Interviews and discussions were led by experienced moderators using a guide agreed with the client.
10

Data quality & validation

  • Digital fingerprinting and duplicate checks
  • Attention, speed and straight-lining checks
  • Review of open-ended answers
  • Recordings and transcripts for every session
  • Re-screening of qualitative recruits
  • Verification of healthcare professionals
  • Logic and range checks on the final data
  • Work carried out under our ISO 20252 quality procedures
11

Data analysis

  • Cross-tabulation by key groups and locations
  • Significance testing on the differences that mattered
  • Thematic coding of interviews and discussions
  • Journey and decision mapping
12

Key findings

  • Specialists wanted local clinical data and patient support programmes.
Doctors adopt what they can explain to patients.
13

Recommendations

  • Build on the core insight: doctors adopt what they can explain to patients.
  • Focus effort where the evidence was strongest: specialists wanted local clinical data and patient support programmes.
  • Re-measure after the changes to confirm the effect.
14

Business impact

  • The company prioritised both.

What changed in the business as a result of the work. Impact is described qualitatively.

15

Deliverables & next steps

  • Insight report and management presentation
  • Cleaned data file and data tables
  • Interview summaries and key verbatims
  • Repeat the measure after changes are in place to track progress.
  • A natural follow-on question: how do patients rate their experience?

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