At LDA Research we’ve built an enviable reputation for accessing patients and healthcare professionals from across the world. Our clients come to us for global intelligence and we utilise a range of methodologies that facilitate international market research in healthcare.
Much of the research we are asked to undertake in the pharmaceutical and medical device sectors, is qualitative. This requires that our specialist moderators engage in depth with the ideas, values and issues that are driving the healthcare profession within their geographical context.
Whilst we can’t always be face-to-face with interviewees who are part of our international network, we maintain the goal of detailed, informed discussion. In this blog we’ll be discussing our use of the phone as a way to glean local specialist knowledge.
Telephone Depth Interviewing (TDI)
These can be scheduled to suit the interviewee, and can happen in a location that suits them. The aim of a TDI is to achieve the equivalent of a face-to-face interview, over the phone. LDA Research always uses professional interviewers with experience in healthcare research, or practice, to ensure that the interview digs down to draw out insights that will aid the research goals.
As the aim is to create a detailed discussion, we use topic briefs rather than structured questionnaires on TDIs. The interviewer will offer the option to use video on the call, which allows them to view body language, but if the interviewee is uncomfortable with this, it isn’t essential. The crucial thing is to develop a rapport on the phone, which will allow for a free-flowing discussion of ideas, opinions and values.
LDA TDI Examples
- Telephone interviews with ophthalmologists in Germany and the UK on the topic of non-infectious uveitis
- Telephone interviews with epileptologists in UK on the topic of paediatric focal seizures
Web Assisted Telephone Interviewing (WATI)
These are one-to-one or group telephone interviews utilising information which is shared via the internet. These might take the form of a survey, or the interviewer might present – for example – pricing guides or advertising images, and the interviewee will be asked to respond to prompts, or questions related to the material.
This approach has the advantage of allowing both parties to share web material in real time. The online content is then enriched by the addition of a specific context, or a particular line of questioning. This approach can also be used for research groups, where a survey is completed anonymously but the aggregate results are fed back, inviting discussion, in the course of the session.
LDA WATI Examples:
- Web assisted telephone interviews with cardiac surgeons and cardiac anaesthetists in the UK, on the topic of prophylactic treatments for blood loss.
- Web Assisted Telephone Interviews in the UK with ICU pharmacists and dieticians on the topic of parental nutrition
Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI)
This approach utilises a pre-written survey which the interviewer presents to the interviewee. Computer software provides the interviewer with a script which offers an introduction to the survey, any special instructions (if the answers are going to be timed, for example), as well as the questions themselves.
Whilst this approach is more formal than the TDIs or WATIs, there is still the opportunity for interventions, where appropriate. Certain answers may prompt additional questions, or become the precursor for a follow-up call. All the responses offered by respondents are entered online by the interviewer as the survey progresses.
LDA CATI Examples
- Computer assisted telephone interviews with Irish pharmacists on the topic of chemotherapy compounding
- Computer assisted telephone interviews in USA with ICU, OR, ER, med-surge nurses and nurse managers, CNOs, respiratory therapists, biomedical engineers and purchasers on the topic consumables
LDA Research Puts the Research First
As a medical market research agency, we’re known for our tenacity when it comes to accessing the views and opinions our clients need. We have a range of approaches which can be customised to suit the particular needs of interviewees, and the research itself.
