Industry overview
What is shaping pharmaceutical
Pharmaceutical and medical-device companies need evidence from doctors, pharmacists and patients, gathered with verified respondents, strict confidentiality and careful questionnaire design.
- Prescribing behaviour is shaped by evidence, experience and access
- Pharmacies influence brand substitution and adherence
- Patient journeys reveal unmet needs between visits
Client background
A medical device company, working in London, Manchester & Toronto. Client identity is withheld to protect confidentiality.
- Organisation
- A medical device company
- Sector
- Pharmaceutical
- Team engaged
- Market Research
- Services
- Qualitative research, UI/UX design, Healthcare panel
Client challenge
The company was launching a home monitor for older users and wanted to know whether people could set it up and take readings correctly without help.
Research objectives
- Deliver on the brief: usability testing a home blood pressure monitor.
- Uncover the motivations and barriers people do not state in a survey.
- Give the client evidence it can act on within 5 weeks.
Target audience
Scope: 36 usability sessions.
Audiences we typically reach in pharmaceutical
Physicians and specialistsPharmacists and chemistsNurses and allied HCPsPatients and caregiversHospital procurement teams
Geographic coverage
Coverage: London, Manchester & Toronto. Markets: United Kingdom and Canada.
- United Kingdom
- Canada
Research methodology
A qualitative design, built to uncover motivations, decision processes and the language people actually use.
- 1Brief
- 2Usability sessions with patients and caregivers
- 3Insight
Participants unboxed and used the device while researchers observed, noting errors and confusion. Sessions included older adults and caregivers.
Qualitative researchUI/UX designHealthcare panel
Sampling strategy
- 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.
Data collection
- usability sessions
- 36
- 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.
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
Data analysis
- Thematic coding of interviews and discussions
- Journey and decision mapping
Key findings
- Cuff placement and reading the display were common problems.
Watching real users caught problems that lab testing had missed.
Recommendations
- Build on the core insight: watching real users caught problems that lab testing had missed.
- Focus effort where the evidence was strongest: cuff placement and reading the display were common problems.
- Re-measure after the changes to confirm the effect.
Business impact
- The company redesigned the instructions with clear diagrams and enlarged display digits before launch.
What changed in the business as a result of the work. Impact is described qualitatively.
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 doctors choose between therapies?
Client identity is withheld to protect confidentiality.