1. conduc'ng)pharma)research)
This)is)a)short)guideline)designed)to)
explore)and)present)some)insights)and)
issues)surrounding)market)research)into)
medical)and)pharmaceu'cal)and)
healthcare)areas.)))
Radius Global EMEA
Jstorey@radius-global.com +447453323623
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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
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Jstorey@radius-global.com +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)
Jstorey@radius-global.com +447453323623
Pa'ent)becomes)cri'cal)or)
symptoms)worsen)
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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.)))
Jstorey@radius-global.com +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?)
Jstorey@radius-global.com +447453323623
At)what)point)are)Pa'ent)
Support)Groups)involved)and)
how)can)they)help?)
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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
Jstorey@radius-global.com +447453323623
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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
Jstorey@radius-global.com +447453323623
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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
Jstorey@radius-global.com +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
Jstorey@radius-global.com +447453323623
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10. clear)thinking)in)
a)complex)world)
Radius Global EMEA
Jstorey@radius-global.com +447453323623
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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
Jstorey@radius-global.com +447453323623
11

12. Contact details…
John Storey
Director, Research, Radius EMEA
E-Mail: jstorey@radius-global.com
Office: 0203-130-0713 Mobile 0745 3323623
Darren George
Director, Quantitative Expert, Radius EMEA
E-Mail: DGeorge@radius-global.com
Mobile: +44-7951-32963