Market Research on Type 2 Diabetes, Chronic Kidney Disease, and Chronic Heart Failure
Recruitment.
- Countries
Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, and Sweden
- Client Type
Market Research Agency (MRA)
- Therapeutic area
Type 2 diabetes, Chronic Kidney Disease, Chronic Heart Failure
- Target Specialties
Family Medicine, Endocrinology, Cardiology, Nephrology, Internal Medicine
- Methodology
Tracker, Online Survey
- Add-ons
Client List Recruitment
- Wave number
4
- Total Respondents Recruited
1,551
Business Objective
Our client, a market research agency conducting research on behalf of a leading pharmaceutical company, partnered with us to explore doctors’ perceptions on the treatment of patients with interconnected conditions such as type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and chronic heart failure. The research aimed to assess corporate reputation, attitudes toward brand health, treatment prescribing habits, patient treatment goals, brand association, and message recall through share of voice, and interaction ratings.
The study, structured as a tracker, required a robust and diverse sample to ensure ongoing insights into the evolving treatment landscape across multiple European markets.
Challenges
- Maximising List Usage: The study relied on a combination of list and free-found recruitment, with a strong emphasis on list-matched respondents. Maximising response rates from the list sample within tight deadlines was a key challenge.
- Difficult-to-Reach Specialties: We had to recruit 55 Nephrologists per wave across the commissioned markets which was a challenging target keeping in mind limited universe sizes for this specialty.
- Tight Timelines: The project required full delivery within six weeks, necessitating an agile and proactive recruitment approach.
- Fielding During Holiday Period: The most recent wave was fielded during the month of December which is the holiday season with many doctors starting to take time off work and therefore their availability was lower than usual.
QQFS Solution
QQFS implemented a robust sampling plan from the outset. To tackle the anticipated low response rates due to the holiday period we increased the participation rate by recommending a mixed recruitment approach from the start by supplementing list-matched respondents with free-found recruitment. This was especially useful for the difficult-to-reach specialties in Austria and Sweden. QQFS deployed phone recruitment and email follow-ups to full capacity, targeting respondents who had successfully passed the screener.
Key actions included:
- Custom Recruitment Strategies: Weekly reminder campaigns, targeted follow-ups with qualified respondents, and reaching out to external audiences through targeted desk research for physicians treating T2D or CKD.
- Proactive Sampling Adjustments: In Sweden, across all project waves, QQFS successfully recruited additional 22 nephrologists and 25 internal medicine specialists through desk research. These new recruits have resulted in additional completed interviews as well as contributed to QQFS panel building for the future studies.
- Transparent and Proactive Communication: The client expressed the need to receive structured updates twice weekly, keeping them informed and aligned with the project’s progress. These updates were designed to specifically meet their expectations, providing clear insights into fieldwork developments and challenges. This allowed the client to make informed decisions and address any issues early, ensuring smooth collaboration and minimizing surprises.
Client Impact
The client expressed satisfaction with the structured approach, timely updates, and strategic problem-solving implemented by QQFS. Client expectations were effectively managed throughout fieldwork.
The client particularly appreciated:
- High response rate from the list sample
- Swift and proactive adjustments made to enhance recruitment feasibility
- Structured and transparent communication, which facilitated informed decision-making
This successful collaboration reinforced the client’s confidence in QQFS’s ability to deliver within complex recruitment scenarios. QQFS has delivered on average 390 completed interviews per wave. It is important to note that such high sample outreach was achieved purely from the proprietary QQFS panel and for niche markets where the universe sizes are much smaller. For example, Nephrologists universe size in France alone is higher than the total sum of Nephrologists universes sizes in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, and Sweden.
Study results provided valuable insights into treatment perceptions, aiding in refining corporate messaging and market positioning.
