Healthcare Sector Research
We are uniquely placed to support your organisation with qualitative & quantitative research with expertise in health/biological sciences as well as social sciences. We offer research support to clinical research teams of healthcare focused organisations, including, organisations producing medical devices, pharmaceutical companies, hospitals or healthcare sector consulting. With proven record of success in research design, data collection, data analysis, qualitative report writing & even grant writing, TRF offers the important answers to ‘How’ and ‘Why’ to decision makers through ‘big data’, ‘health seeking behaviour’, ‘end user focused studies’ , a prerequisite to move data…..to…..SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS.
We work with diverse set of organisations ranging from Industry (pharmaceutical, chemical, healthcare delivery, medical equipments, diagnostic companies & agro-based companies), Academia, Non-government organisations, Government Organisations and so on.
Industry (Medical Devices, Pharmaceuticals, Chemicals, Diagnostics)
The Indian healthcare industry has experienced rapid growth in the last decade. The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed the vulnerabilities of the Indian health system, irrespective, whether it’s public or privately funded. The entire country struggled with basic healthcare infrastructural problems, including, paucity of ICU beds, ventilators, oxygen cylinders/concentrators etc. Regular OPDs for both non-communicable & other communicable diseases of course took a backseat. The Government expenditure on public healthcare is bound to increase, so will increase the expansion of secondary & tertiary healthcare systems in tier II & tier III cities throughout the country. The associated health system support industry comprising of healthcare facilities (including diagnostics, clinics & hospitals) pharmaceuticals, medical devices, medical consumables etc is also inevitable to grow & so will the requirement of qualitative & quantitative research for all stakeholders involved. We undertake consultative studies/services in the sphere of market research encompassing sociological studies, new concept studies, need assessment, image/ positioning studies of healthcare innovations, product consumption studies etc.
Institutions (Academia, Public Sector, Schools)
Our research finds audiences in the top clinical and policy journals and helps shape decisions in the highest levels of leadership. Our expertise in research design and dissemination will ensure that your data can answer your research questions effectively and reach decision makers that matter.
Majority of our team of healthcare professionals are a mix of PhDs & medical sciences background with years of experience of managing markets across Asia involving sub-thematic assemblage categorized under services like medical equipments/devices, diagnostics, therapeutics, healthcare consumables & healthcare service providers. Services include full service marketing research employing both qualitative & quantitative methods as well as secondary review based desk research.
Principal Research Framework & Paradigms
Research Aspect
Ontological Assumption
Epistemological Assumption
Aims of Enquiry
Role of Researcher
Researcher-Respondent Relationship
Research Methods
Quantitative Paradigm
Objectivity
Positivism
Universality
Outsider
Detachment
Statistics
Qualitative Paradigm
Subjectivity
Phenomenology
Particularity
Insider
Involvement
Description
So whether it’s an impact assessment on healthcare services provided by a hospital for mapping quality and efficiency matrices, stakeholder engagement involving a multiregional/ multisite clinical trial involving pharmaceuticals, medical devices or even a patient’s perceptions on certain procedures, we strive & thrive in ensuring that the right research methodology is employed through a variety of data collection & analysis mechanisms to meet the research aims of the partner organisation.
Data Collection Methodologies
Semi-Structured Interviews
In-depth interviews with end beneficiaries including product users, end beneficiaries (patients), clinicians, and other stakeholders (including para-medics) are the foundation of all significant, valid, and reliable qualitative health research. Standardized, structured questions allow for valid comparison across respondents, while open-ended, unstructured prompts allow respondents to raise the topics of interest to them that researchers might not have thought to ask. The privacy of the one-on-one encounter, whether in person, on the phone, or via videoconference encourages candor and allows for frank reflection on sensitive issues. Semi-structured interviews are best used in exploratory studies, where little is known about a phenomenon, and when the individual’s experience of an issue is primary.
Structured Interviews
Structured interviews resemble surveys in that they allow for valid comparison across a larger number of respondents, while still giving room for reflection and elaboration. These are effectively utilized in large qualitative studies (forty or more respondents), or when the research involves an established area of inquiry, where there is less concern about missing important domains of inquiry
Focused Group Discussions
Focus groups provide insight into how decision-making works and into group processes: How do professionals asses the pros and cons of a new technology. How do prospective study participants feel about clinical trial participation? Good focus groups involve an exchange of ideas and preferences among participants, allowing researchers to understand the range of views around a phenomenon. Focus groups can be convened in person or via videoconference, and each group should include approximately ten individuals with similar life experience to allow for a comfortable exchange of views.
Stakeholder Engagement
Stakeholder engagement is an increasingly essential facet of health research. By bringing together those affected by your study results, whether patients and family members, clinicians from multiple disciplines, representatives from payer groups and policymaking organizations, a successful stakeholder engagement can ensure your research avoids pitfalls and succeeds in disseminations and implementation. A stakeholder is anyone who will be affected by the results of your research, whether a health professional, a patient, or a policymaker. Stakeholder panels will generally convene virtually or in person for multiple sessions over the life of your project, building collective knowledge about the research aims and offering insights
Data Analysis Methodologies
All Qualitative Data Analysis involves tagging text with common themes, and comparative analysis of the patterns that emerge. We offer multiple approaches to qualitative data analysis using the latest software packages. Use this diagram to select the QDA approach that works best for your project.
Grounded Theory
Grounded Theory is the earliest form of systematic qualitative data analysis. It involves constantly developing and testing hypotheses as the data are collected and analyzed. This approach is purely inductive. Its aim is theory-generation. Useful for when little is known about a phenomenon and when the project has a lengthy timeline to allow for multiple waves of data collection and analysis.
Conventional Content Analysis
Conventional Content Analysis is similar to Grounded Theory in that the approach is primarily inductive. It differs in that its aim is descriptive, not theory building, and therefore does not require constant comparison and hypothesis testing. Useful for developing descriptive analysis in a relatively short timeline.
Systematic Reviews
Also known as ‘overviews’, systematic reviews synthesizes the results of multiple primary studies related to each other by using strategies that reduce biases and random errors. To this end, systematic reviews may or may not include a statistical synthesis called meta-analysis, depending on whether the studies are similar enough so that combining their results is meaningful. They guide further research wherever knowledge is lacking and are usually carried out in the areas of clinical tests (diagnostic, screening, and prognostic), public health interventions, adverse (harm) effects, economic (cost) evaluations, and how and why interventions work.
Meta Analysis
Meta Analysis Studies help in making efficient use of existing data thereby in helping form ‘generalizability’ by using statistical analysis of a large collection of analysis (& results). They are like ‘studies of studies’ that provide a logical framework to a research review.
Directed Content Analysis
Directed Content Analysis differs from the conventional approach in that existing literature and theoretical frameworks are used to guide the process of codebook development. Useful for when a great deal is already known about a topic and your research aim is to elaborate on or otherwise address what is known. Also useful with smaller samples and shorter timelines
Mixed Method Approaches
Mixed Method Research or MMR draws on a principle that both qualitative & quantitative research can inform each other. The approach is increasingly getting popular & may be defined as an intersection/ systematic integration of qualitative & quantitative data either within a single study or a series of studies for the same objectives. The best practices for this approach is still evolving but the research method has expanded into health & medical sciences in domains ranging from pharmaceuticals, medical devices, mental health & even family medicine.
The key advantages remain, ability to compare quantitative & qualitative data, extremely high quality & comprehensive data, includes firm point-of-views of all key stakeholders & of course the research methodology flexibility. Even though, this approach is more resource intensive with includes far more complex evaluation processes.
Qualitative Research for Healthcare Industry
Organisational research call for more focus on the cross-cultural ethos of its management & people, often the more ‘subjective’ & ‘descriptive’ solution to many a ‘scope of problems’ associated with larger organisations, quite unlike, the ‘objective’ outlook provided by quantitative studies.
We emphasize on ‘transparent’ inputs & the same is substantiated by our team of qualitative research focused researchers from diverse fields who specialize in global pharmaceutical & medical qualitative research involving methodical tools including (a) In-depth interviews, (b) Focused group discussions, (c) Audio/Video-in-depth Interviews, (d) Systematic reviews & systematically conducted secondary reviews, (e) Qualitative online research through FGDs & Surveys (offline/online), (f) Computer assisted telephone interviewing (CATI), (g) Web assisted telephone interviewing (WATI) etc.
Our research methodology integrates traditional methods drawn from social sciences including psychology and different branches in anthropology especially ethnography with formative new age tools based on semiotics (an approach to cultural analysis). Our expertise & experience in development sector communication & social issues coupled with brand and product creation capacity positions our qualitative research methodologies as an uncompromising, multidisciplinary exploration of consumer motivation and behaviour and would provide high-quality insights into what guides this motivation/behaviour.
‘Deep Design Thinking’ is the core of our innovative qualitative research design– a unique problem-solving approach that combines the power of three critical skills – Empathy, Creativity, and Rationality – for business problem solving and strategy, especially for the healthcare sector.
At TRF, we also pride ourselves on our ability to access hard-to-reach groups for both patient and healthcare professionals panels and our specialist moderators have either previously worked in the medical sector or held senior research positions, so they’re able to dig that little bit deeper when it comes to qualitative field research.
Quantitative Research for Healthcare Industry
It’s a well known fact that the key to any successful business is the ability to make well informed business decisions and to get a real picture of how your market sector is developing while staying abreast of key legislation affecting your business.
Quantitative research gives provides this ‘leeway’ to businesses, an ability to collect large volumes of data quickly and efficiently, providing a comprehensive view of your target demographic beyond your survey participants. We all are aware that quantitative research is all about numbers and that it uses mathematical analysis and data to shed light on important statistics about your business and market. TRF’s philosophy has always been to completely understand the issue at hand and then utilize the best possible research solution – be that by applying, or modifying one of our own research solutions to meet the necessary business requirements or even crafting a completely customized research design to fit the issue profile.
The analysis and result of a survey can also be processed with speed with our many data modeling capabilities providing cutting edge technical expertise in different areas of brand & communication tracking, brand equity, pre testing, segmentation, pricing research, innovation testing & volumetrics, product optimization & diagnostics.
A comprehensive set of results from our quantitative survey can give your business the utmost confidence when making plans for the future. For example, with TRF’s quantitative research you’ll be able to answer questions related to:
- Availability of market for your products and services
- Existence of market awareness for your product/services
- Quantifying actual numbers for your services / products
- Mapping user behavior of end beneficiaries or consumers thereby ‘predicting’ statistically validated metrics for correctly projecting a future outcome of an innovation / programme
TRF has always combined deep sectoral knowledge as well as an intrinsic understanding of client business with cutting edge quantitative research techniques in order to provide solutions for a wide variety of healthcare focused services issues. Kindly refer to the sub-section ‘Economic Evaluation Studies’ under the category ‘Health & Wellness’ for a more detailed recapitulation on the topic.