Mobile Ethnography in Healthcare: Uncovering Digital Tool Usage Trends
Recruitment.
- Client Type
Market Research Agency (MRA)
- Countries
Germany and Italy
- Therapeutic area
Multiple
- Target Specialties
HCPs (Oncologists, Cardiologists, Dermatologists, and others) and non-MDs (Nurse Practitioners, Administrators, Office Managers, and others)
- Methodology
Qualitative, Mobile Ethnography
- Total length of engagement
~100 minutes in total (10-15 min per activity)
- Timeline
4 weeks
- Total respondents recruited
108 in total (89 HCPs and 19 non-MDs)
Business Objective
Our client, a market research agency conducting research on behalf of a pharmaceutical company, sought to explore how HCPs in Germany and Italy incorporate digital tools into their daily routine. The study focused on understanding digital adoption trends, communication enhancements, and the impact of technology on patient care across multiple specialties, including oncology, cardiology, and dermatology.
To gain in-depth insights, the research deployed a mobile ethnography approach. This approach required respondents to log in to an online forum daily to complete assigned tasks, answer questions, and provide qualitative feedback on their experiences. Respondents could access the online forum both via a laptop as well as a mobile app, which allowed higher engagement and regular participation levels. This highly interactive methodology allowed researchers to collect rich contextual data and observe trends over time. The topics included patient journeys, clinical logistics, peer connections, research, as well as mentoring and volunteering activities.
Project Scope
- Fair Market Value Restrictions: Regulations were in place to limit the value of incentives that can be offered to respondents in both markets. Germany had more stringent regulations which made it more challenging to keep respondents engaged over time. Our careful planning and thoughtful incentive structures have made it possible to ultimately ensure high-quality and consistent participation in this market.
- Quota Requirements: The client had specific requirements on the number of respondents within each specialty quota, making recruitment efforts more focused. Oncologists represented one of the more difficult-to-engage specialties within the study. Considering a high demand for this specialty for market research they often have limited availability. By leveraging targeted outreach and refining our recruitment strategies, we were able to ensure that the client’s quota expectations were met.
- Tight Timelines: The four-week fieldwork window was certainly a time-sensitive opportunity, pushing us to be efficient and agile in our approach. With limited time for recruitment and participant replacement, we embraced the challenge by our ability to move quickly and recruit participants from diverse sources.
- Wave-Based Participation & Maintaining Engagement: Due to platform specifications, the invitations had to be staggered, based on the start of each wave, meaning participants had to complete activities within specific timeframes. With daily tasks to complete within set timeframes, it was critical to ensure that respondents stayed engaged throughout the online forum in order to gather the representative data for this project.
QQFS Solution
In response to the project’s specific needs, QQFS implemented a comprehensive and dynamic recruitment and engagement strategy designed to maximize impact:
- Proactive Sampling and Recruitment Approach: For most specialties, including oncologists, we leveraged phone outreach, referral networks, and personalised reminders to encourage participation. To address the tight timelines, we have also sourced additional respondents from alternative targets, ensuring a robust and diverse sample. This proactive approach allowed us to successfully recruit a high-quality respondents within a short timeframe.
- Structured Engagement and Retention Plan: We implemented a daily engagement strategy to keep participants on track and motivated. Through regular reminders and personalized support, we ensured the timely completion of tasks. Our custom recruitment team played a crucial role, offering both technical and content-related assistance, addressing issues quickly, and keeping participants fully engaged. This high-touch approach contributed to our success in maintaining momentum throughout the study.
- Strategic Client Communication: Throughout the project, we prioritized transparency and effective communication with our client. We provided regular updates and held mid-fieldwork review calls to assess progress and make any necessary adjustments. By closely monitoring quotas and adapting our sampling strategy as needed, we kept the project on course and ensured client satisfaction.
Client Impact
We have successfully recruited and gathered the valuable qualitative data for 108 respondents within a four-week timeframe. The study provided our client with valuable qualitative insights into how both HCPs and non-medical professionals interact with digital tools in their daily practices. By using the mobile ethnography approach, the research captured authentic, real-time experiences, offering a deeper understanding of usability, preferences, and unmet needs. These insights enabled the client to refine their digital solutions to better align with the target group’s workflows, ultimately driving higher adoption rates and greater engagement.
Through innovative strategies, effective communication, and a relentless commitment to participant engagement, QQFS was able to provide our client with invaluable insights to shape their digital strategy.
