We all like to know that we are not alone – that there is someone out there who has experienced what we have, felt what we have felt, and gotten along in spite of difficult circumstances. For patients diagnosed with chronic illnesses, this notion of interconnectivity becomes particularly important to the healing process. Support groups have long been effective in facilitating conversation between patients with similar medical conditions, bringing solace to the chronically ill through shared experiences. As a safe environment for discussion, support groups allow patients to educate one another and gain strength through validating fears, hopes, failures, and successes.
Harnessing the powerful insights shared in patient support groups, these forums are now being used as a method for conducting market research. Thought to be more honest than a traditional focus group, wherein patients may not always reveal every emotion and behavior undergone, the support group has the potential to reveal key patient experiences. These include:
– Awareness of compliance and non-compliance in taking prescription medications
– Insight into unmet patient needs, and the products and/or services that could fulfill them
– Understanding of patient behaviors that impede recovery or progress
– Knowledge of the side effects of therapies and medications
Observation Baltimore’s expert recruiters can recruit both individuals in support groups or whole support groups for the purposes of better understanding patient experiences. Market research conducted in the support group format can work doubly towards improving patient conditions – not only by empowering patients through open communication, but also by seeking out new ways to boost patient care and treatments.
The research facility at Observation Baltimore is equipped with rooms designed to foster discussion between respondents, making the most of the support group format with expert moderation to glean deep insights. Those insights can be harnessed to propel our clients forward in the decision making process. Effective market research can help medical clients to develop new sales and marketing strategies for pharmaceutical products, refine concept statements, inform the development of new products, and more.
For additional information, call us at 410-332-0400 or click here! If you’d like to participate in one of our focus groups, please sign up at https://observationbaltimore.com/get-paid-baltimore-maryland-get-paid-cash-opinion-baltimore-md/.