What happens when you have a very small target patient population and you want to understand—in depth—their patient journey, the ongoing therapy experience, and triggers and barriers to therapy choice? This challenge of small sample size affects many decisions in the pharmaceutical world, given the emphasis on niche drugs and narrowly defined patient populations. The patient experience we wished to understand occurs over a period of time, so we recruited respondents for an eight-week online bulletin board. Our session will give insight into the recruiting methods, and examples of how we used a creative combination of qualitative and quantitative tools and exercises to keep the questions fresh, keep respondents engaged, and develop insightful information about their patient journeys.

1. Hannah Baker Hitzhusen
SKIM
DEVELOPING
DEEP INSIGHTS
From Small Samples
Using Blended Methods

2. UNDERSTANDING
The Patient Journey

3. FINDING
SMALL SAMPLE
our pharmaceutical world
is full of small samples

4. Find
Small
Sample
Gain
Deep
Insights:
Blended
Methods
Ensure
Deep
Insights
to Client
1 2 3

5. BEFORE
WE BEGIN

6. Online bulletin boards
 Not a free-for-all
 Recruited traditionally
 Professional moderators
 Comfortably anonymous

8. OVER THE PAST
DECADE
we have asked respondents
to be online…

9. Respondents
Engaged for
Longer
Participants not
limited by
geography
More time,
deeper levels of
information

10. Find
Small
Sample
Gain
Deep
Insights:
Blended
Methods
Ensure
Deep
Insights
to Client
1 2 3

11. FIND
SMALL
SAMPLE
Fabry disease patients switching
medications
Phenylketonuria patients who have
stopped medication and restarted
Any patient who is in the midst of a
“drug holiday”

13. Flexibility &
Understanding
of how difficult it would
be to find these people

14. With no relaxing
of recruiting standards

15. GAIN DEEP INSIGHTS
Blended Methods

16. In-depth probing
combined with
exercises for fun

17. MaxDiff as a
conversation
tool to
capture,
compare, and
contrast

18. Clickable
graphics
and mark-up
exercises

19. Sorting
exercises
including
drag & drop

20. Collage
building

21. Ensure Deep Insights
for clients

22. So MUCH Data
Avoid getting mired
DELIVER DEEP INSIGHTS

23. Create a draft Insights Report
template before the research
starts.
Prepare

24. What happens at each
fork in the road?

25. Use the discussion guide as an
iterative process.
Execute
Debrief daily or weekly with
moderators and clients.
Create report templates
(weekly, daily?) at the
respondent or country level.

26. Continuous
Feedback Loop
where are they now?
And now?

27. Depending on length of study,
interim client reports to address the
needs of the client & to ensure on
track to deliver targeted insights.
Deliver
8-week board could equal
20 respondent profiles.
2-week board could equal
10 country profiles

28. “It feels like the winter
season for me...cold,
barren and not much
color. Gray and white
represent this season of
my life.”
Deep feelings

29. How are you feeling? Fine, good, itchy
Yes.
Yes. Toast and
peanut butter
No, thank you, honey.
Did you take the meds?
Did you eat with it?
What did you have?
Can I help?

30. He is always concerned. Calling me at work in
the middle of the day just to check on me...At
first I felt well cared for. Now I just feel like the
sick person in his life. I hate that, being the sick
one. I want to be fun, vibrant & sexy in his eyes. It
feels like my shine has worn off.

31. Q A&
Send me your questions:
h.baker@skimgroup.com
Or call me:
+31 10 282 3545