10 top tips for moderating medical focus groups June 1, 2013 It’s not surprising that focus groups are one of the most popular research methodologies out there – after all, they’re a great way to get insightful qualitative results and can be a faster alternative to individual interviews. However, the key to running a successful medical focus group is all in the moderating. A good moderator brings out the best in the participants, peeking into their minds and asking the right questions at the right time to gather deep insights. If you’re thinking about conducting a medical focus group as part for your next research project, read on for our top ten tips on successful moderation; written by GKA Read more
Do’s and don’ts of running market research online communities May 8, 2013 Market research online communities are one of the fastest growing methodologies in the market research world and are becoming increasingly popular in the healthcare sector too. When you look at all the benefits, it’s easy to see why: a well managed MROC provides a safe and secure place for participants to voice their opinions whilst also offering researchers a fast and cost-efficient methodology that enables easy access to hard-to-reach respondents. And because they fit in around respondents’ busy lives, the response rates can be pretty great, too. As with any research methodology, however, there are some key things to consider to ensure MROCs run smoothly – so if you’re thinking about using a market research online community for your next healthcare research project, make sure you have a read of our do’s and don’ts first; written by GKA Read more
Who’s who in Huntington’s disease? A medical fieldwork guide May 2, 2013 What are the facts? Huntington’s disease is an inherited condition that damages certain nerve cells in the brain. This damage gets worse over time and results in a gradual loss of function that causes problems with movement, cognition (perception, awareness, thinking and judgement) and behaviour. In the majority of cases Huntington’s disease is caused by an inherited faulty gene, however in around 3% of cases there is no family history. Huntington’s disease usually progresses and gets worse over a 10-25 year period from when it first appears, and during the later stages of the disease the person will be totally dependent and need full nursing care. written by GKA Read more
Five tips to engage participants during insight communities in healthcare April 18, 2013 Insight communities, or market research online communities as they are also known, are one of the fastest growing general market research methodologies – and we’re pleased to report that the healthcare industry is finally catching up and getting on board, too. It’s pretty easy to see why they’re so popular: when they are well managed, Market research online communities can provide unique insights into participants’ minds, allowing researchers to access qualitative information whilst enabling participants to voice their opinions in a safe and secure setting. written by GKA Read more
Who’s who in obesity? A medical market research guide April 6, 2013 What are the facts? Obesity is an increasingly common problem here in the UK – in fact obesity levels have more than trebled in the last 30 years, prompting fears that we are becoming the “fat man of Europe“. With 24.9% of the UK population being obese, we’re ahead of countries such as Spain (24.1), Germany (21.3%), Sweden (16.6%) and France (15.6%). And with current estimates predicting that more than half of the population could be obese by 2050, obesity is a very real long-term problem. written by GKA Read more
Should I offer an incentive to my market research participants? February 14, 2013 One of the questions we’re asked most frequently is “Should I include incentive or reimbursement as part of a medical market research programme?” To which our answer is almost always “Yes.” And that’s equally applicable to research programmes in which the participants are healthcare professionals and those which talk to patients. After all, the former are giving valuable insights and time from their extremely busy schedule, while the latter can sometimes be volunteering personal and occasionally sensitive information. Due to how busy these types of people are, there are often limited numbers that are willing to participant in medical market research, making them harder to recruit. Therefore, you may need to match your incentive to the difficulty level of recruiting these participants to ensure your maximum success of your healthcare research project. written by GKA Read more