An Apology for the Lack of Transparency in the MR Sample Process

This article first appeared on Insights Association Website.

When I first came to MedSurvey four years ago as Vice President of Business Development (and the first and only salesperson in the company’s history), I was a complete newcomer to the market research industry. Previously, I had worked in sales for major companies and logos, selling media and advertising solutions on a national scale and managing multi-million-dollar budgets. But with respect to market research, I was an outsider with very little knowledge of the industry. As a result, for the first six months of my new career at MedSurvey, I set out to learn everything I could about the industry, to understand how and why clients worked with us, to uncover the gaps, and to get a good understanding from clients about their needs and expectations. What I found not only surprised me—it baffled me.

This article first appeared in Quirks June/July 2019 issue

Over the past 15 years, the medical market research landscape has undergone dramatic changes. As the health care field has advanced and doctors have become more specialized, pharmaceutical companies have begun to seek survey respondents who are more specialized as well. A decade ago, a typical research project might target a list of 100 oncologists, broadly defined; today, projects may target 100 oncologists who specialize in a very specific condition, work with a very specific set of devices and are affiliated with a very specific subset of medical institutions at the forefront of their fields.

As medical market researchers, we are tasked with providing crucial data to pharmaceutical companies. They are counting on us to deliver accurate research results that will have a critical impact on future business and marketing decisions, trickling all the way down to how medications are prescribed and patients are treated.

Yet many medical market research companies tend to overlook one simple issue, resulting in erroneous data that can lead to costly, even multi-million-dollar mistakes.

My biggest takeaway after three months at a market research sample partner

Over the past 12 years, I have worked for various market research companies, and in that time, I’ve held many roles and seen the space from multiple different perspectives. I knew the ins and outs of the industry, and to be honest, I thought I had seen it all. So I was taken by surprise when I came to MedSurvey and was introduced to an entirely new approach.

First a little context - I am a cardiothoracic anesthesiologist working at a hospital in Philadelphia. Recently, I reconnected and was having dinner with a childhood friend, who happened to have founded a medical market research company many years ago (full disclaimer, the friend is Paul Golota, co-founder and executive vice president of MedSurvey). When we started discussing his line of work, he asked me if I have ever participated in paid medical market research surveys. My answer was “yes, but I rarely do it anymore.” After discussing my string of bad experiences with survey companies, he asked me if I would consider authoring a blog post about my hesitation to participate and possibly outline a few suggestions that would make participating more appealing. This is an attempt to do just that and give the market research industry a physician’s perspective on participating in paid medical surveys.

I remember a time, not too long ago, when cell phones were only useful for a few things: short phone calls (no unlimited voice plans), text messages (no pictures), and the occasional game of snake on the small monochromatic screen. Fast forward a decade, and our phone today has more in common with our laptop than it does with our phone from 2005. The incredible processing power, beautiful high-resolution displays, and a fast internet connection have all been critical to the proliferation of smartphones over the past decade, but no feature was more instrumental in mass adoption than the touch interface.

Not even a decade ago, the healthcare technology and data landscape was much different than today. Can you remember a time before you could look up your symptoms online and spend the evening panicking that you may have a life threatening condition? There were no electronic scripts or health records (that mattered), no appointment scheduling or reminder services, no way to quickly research a medical condition, a drug, or the physician you are seeing next week, and there was certainly no way for the public to access data on how healthcare professionals refer patients, prescribe medication, or the adverse events reported for any given drug. While we are still in the very early stages of a healthcare data revolution, the recent advances have made a significant impact in how we understand and consume healthcare, whether we realize it or not.

Even though I am only 30 years old, I consider myself a veteran of the market research industry. I started my career in market research around the same time I was able to buy my first alcoholic drink (what a timely coincidence). I had no clue what market research was at the time; however, thanks to my thirst for knowledge, a passion for technology, the patience of awesome clients, and many late nights, I evolved into somewhat of an expert over the years. In that time, I have seen the industry grow by leaps and bounds with online panels, social media, smartphone applications, and other advanced technologies. It would be, however, dishonest to say that all of the changes have had a positive effect on the industry.