Conducting pharma research
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This document provides guidelines for conducting market research in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries. It discusses exploring treatment pathways, patient journeys, patient profiling, and physician branding through qualitative research methods. Treatment pathways examine how doctors prefer to treat patients at different disease stages. Patient journeys focus on the patient experience from initial symptoms to final diagnosis. Patient profiling identifies demographic and lifestyle factors. Physician research assesses how doctors make prescribing decisions and perceive drug brands. The document recommends in-depth interviews, focus groups, and surveys to understand these topics.
Conducting pharma research
- 2. Some typical question areas ! Treatment pathway ! Patient journey • Route to diagnosis • Disease stage ! Patient profiling ! Brand equity and positioning • Healthcare Professionals (Physicians and specialists) ! Effective research approaches Radius Global EMEA [email protected] +447453323623 2
- 3. Treatment pathways ! Treatment pathways are often confused with patient journeys and diagnosis routes. Research into treatment pathways explores how physicians prefer, and or, are in the habit of treating patients throughout their disease. ! In some cases, physicians stick strictly to NICE/ other medical guidelines, however we know that physicians often have preferred treatments and brands. These decisions are often governed by past experiences (what was successful and they are comfortable with the treatment regime/what is the best regime for that particular patient). ! Physicians are of course scientists and their primary focus is the care of their patients. It could be argued that like consumers, they are influenced by brand values, especially where there is little to differentiate their choice. Research into this area varies from pure rationalisation to the lunatic fringe (NLP etc.). The key here is to remember that physicians are people, like anybody else, it is only natural to have some emotional attachment to people and brands. ! Of course the treatment pathway starts with diagnosis through to mortality. Common research includes mapping the full pathway and identifying the critical medication switch points and decisions. Radius Global EMEA EXAMPLE'TREATMENT'LINES/STAGES' 1st)treatment)line) O?en)common)treatment) regimes)followed)and)standard) drugs)prescribed) On)diagnosis) 2nd)treatment)line)) Treatment)o?en)moves)onto) more)expensive)drugs) Pa'ent)progresses)through) disease) 3rd)treatment)line)) Specialist)and)new)drugs)are) introduced) [email protected] +447453323623 Pa'ent)becomes)cri'cal)or) symptoms)worsen) 3
- 4. Patient journey ! This is based on the experience of the patient, however physicians, especially GPs (community and family doctors), can have a big input to this. ! Their experiences are often tied into emotional episodes and severity of pain or other symptoms affecting their daily life and level of discomfort. ! Patient journey research can reveal the actual/ often surprising, diagnosis routes and opportunity for improvement areas. ! Patients often have a difficult time until they are finally diagnosed. They go through a series of symptom treatments and can be passed from one specialist to another. ! Specialists such as radiographers, may be the first to raise a suspicion of a particular disease or GPs may notice and become concerned about recurring or worsening symptoms. ! The opportunity for branded pharma products is to identify the key touch points where diagnosis is most likely as well as how to support and trigger diagnosis sooner. This is of benefit to patients, as often early diagnosis leads to better treatment. In particular, patient support groups find this information useful. Radius Global EMEA EXAMPLE:'PERPETUAL'CYCLES'LEADING'TO'FINAL'DIAGNOSIS' Diagnosis) Symptoms) Treatment) Symptoms) Suspicion) GP) GP) Specialist) GP)=)General)Prac''oner)(local)family)Doctor).)Specialist,)can)be) Consultant))i.e.)Urologist)or)specialist)analyst)such)as)radiographer.))) [email protected] +447453323623 4
- 5. Patient journey: Example of key questions research can answer What)specialists)or) consultants)confirm)the)final) diagnosis?) What)symptoms)and) measures)are)used)to) confirm)the)diagnosis?) What)symptoms)or)severity) of)symptoms)lead)to) diagnosis)and)or)specific) treatment?) Diagnosis) Symptoms) What)are)the)different)stages) of)the)disease/condi'on)and) how)do)the)treatments)vary?) How)long)does)it)take)for) diagnosis)to)occur?) What)is)the)pa'ent’s) experience)of)different) treatment)regimes?) Treatment) Symptoms) What)role)does)the)GP)play?) What)symptom)or)condi'on) or)diagnosis)test)raised)the) suspicion?)) What)other)Healthcare) Professionals)and)Pa'ent) Carers)are)involved)in)the) pa'ent)journey?) Radius Global EMEA Suspicion) GP) How)does)the)GP)interact) with)other)specialists?) GP) Specialist) What)specialists)or) consultants)are)involved)in) the)pa'ent)journey?) At)what)point)does)the) Specialist)take)on)the)pa'ent) versus)referral)back)to)GP)or) other)Specialist)for)treatment) management?) [email protected] +447453323623 At)what)point)are)Pa'ent) Support)Groups)involved)and) how)can)they)help?) 5
- 6. Full patient journey example Primary) Consultant) Specialist) Other) HCPs) Diagnosis) Symptoms) Disease)and) treatment)) STAGE)1) Treatment) Symptoms) Disease)and) treatment)) Diagnosis) Specialist) Suspicion) STAGE)2) GP) Disease)and) treatment)) GP) STAGE)3) Specialist) Disease)and) treatment)) SURGERY) Disease)and) treatment) HOSPITALISATION) Referral)for) specialist)treatment) and)consultancy)) Pa'ent) support) groups) Gynaecologist) Urologist) Gastroenterologist) Nephrologist) Other)specialist) We)o?en)find)that)GP’s)are) central)to)the)whole)process,) followed)by)one)primary) Consultant)or)Specialist.) ) Key'Ques<on'areas'include:' ) What)is)the)most)common) diagnosis)and)treatment) route?) ) What)%)of)pa'ents)follow) what)routes?) ) What)diagnosis)route)is) supported)i.e.)radiography) versus)gene'c)tes'ng?) ) At)what)point)are)specific) drugs)prescribed?) ) When)do)prescrip'ons) change?) ) How)closely)does)this)follow) NICE/other) recommenda'ons?) ) When)are)pa'ents)referred)to) other)Specialists)and)what) drugs)do)they)prescribe?) ) How)can)we)gain)market) access?) Other)HCPs)=)Pharmacist,)Nurse,)Health)Visitor,)Carer)etc.) Radius Global EMEA [email protected] +447453323623 6
- 7. Patient profiling can help with targeting and interceptions Basic demographics ! Identifies primary age/gender and stage banding Life stage ! Tells us what influences and factors are important in their lives i.e. pregnancy, career, mobility Life style ! Their interests and activities i.e. those with a chronic disease may travel more i n the earl y stages. For example, are they more suitable for IV versus subcutaneous? Psychographics ! Their attitudes and how to support better compliance and adherence to treatment regimes. Radius Global EMEA [email protected] +447453323623 7
- 8. Pharma brand positioning and profiling of physicians Research with consultants and specialists i.e. rheumatologist, gynaecologist, urologists etc., help us to understand and target prescription choices… Decision process (heuristics) ! How do Physicians decide on specific prescriptions and treatment regimes? ! Is there any brand influences such as trust, reliance, efficacy and hereditary affecting choice? Positioning ! How do physicians think and map the brands? ! Is it purely functional/scientific or do other factors come into play? ! Is there a family of brands for a specific disease and what role do they have? ! What is the competitive considerations? ! Do these brands have any emotional context? ! How can physicians be encouraged to try new drugs, when they have a tried and tested range of effective drugs at their disposal? ! How to understand the psycho-dynamic positioning of brands and what attributes are most important to physicians? ! What positioning statements and concepts are most attractive to physicians? Radius Global EMEA [email protected] +447453323623 8
- 9. Some effective pharma research approaches Patient journey ! Comfort groups are particularly effective as they can target specific patient types, profiles and disease stage + allow patients to talk freely within the comfort of fellow sympathetic sufferers. Their experiences can be mapped using group and heuristic journey exercises. These can also lend depth to patient profiling and understanding of patient behaviours, needs and motivations. ! Online patient surveys are useful when trying to estimate disease incidence, time to diagnosis and prevalence of disease stage and associated symptoms. Psychographic questions can be used to define patient profiles and key interception points. ! Video Ethnographic studies are useful to understand patient behaviours and the effects on their life style and coping mechanisms as well as treatment experiences. Treatment pathways ! IDIs (In-depth interviews) with specialist physicians are particularly useful when trying to understand brand and treatment choices as well as reactions to positioning statements and brand positioning. Family tree and brand archetype mapping are useful to gain depth of drivers behind brand choice. ! Mixed healthcare professional focus groups are useful when wanting to understand and map the full treatment pathway and feedback on patient journeys. ! Online HCP and Specialist surveys, provide statistics to support prescription choices, treatment and diagnosis routes as well as preferred brand choices and brand equity measures. Radius Global EMEA [email protected] +447453323623 9
- 10. clear)thinking)in) a)complex)world) Radius Global EMEA [email protected] +447453323623 10
- 11. Project lead John'Storey'|)As)Director,)Qualita've)Research,)John)leads)the)firm’s) qualita've)prac'ce)across)its)client)base)in)Europe,)the)Middle)East,)and) Asia.))Having)begun)his)career)some)25)years)ago)with)Nielsen,)John)has) since)worked)for)tophfive)market)research)agencies)in)a)variety)of)global) loca'ons.))Prior)to)joining)Radius,)John)lived)and)worked)in)the)United) Arab)Emirates)and)before)that)he)was)based)in)Korea.) In)addi'on)to)being)an)industry)pioneer)in)the)use)of)online)qualita've) and)quan'ta've,)John)is)well)versed)in)quan'ta've)surveys,)semio'cs,) heuris'cs)and)psychographics.))) John)has)worked)with)a)wide)range)of)clients)globally,)including)projects) for)leading)FMCG)brands,)food,)mobile)phones,)online)gaming,)retailers,) fashion)houses,)healthcare)and)beauty,)and)financial)services.)) In)par'cular)in)Novar's)Consumer)Health)as)RD)and)research)and)trade) marke'ng))in)The)Boots)Group.)John)has)also)worked)on)Diabetes,) Dialysis,)CKD,)RA,)Smoking)Cessa'on,)Analgesics,)Cold)Cough)and)a)wide) range)of)packaging)research)projects.) John)studied)Market)Research)at)Westminster)University)and)Kingston) College)London.))) Radius Global EMEA [email protected] +447453323623 11
- 12. Contact details… John Storey Director, Research, Radius EMEA E-Mail: [email protected] Office: 0203-130-0713 Mobile 0745 3323623 Darren George Director, Quantitative Expert, Radius EMEA E-Mail: [email protected] Mobile: +44-7951-32963