Client

A global pharmaceutical company specializing in innovative treatments for gastrointestinal conditions.

Objective

The research aimed to better understand the opinions, behaviors, and experiences of qualified physicians in treating Ulcerative Colitis (UC) and managing specialty care for Ulcerative Colitis particularly focusing on those managing moderate to severe cases.

Specific goals included:

• Identifying current treatment practices and challenges in UC treatment

• Understanding physician preferences for UC therapies for existing and emerging therapies for UC

• Exploring unmet needs in the management of UC.

Methodology

A structured qualitative research program was designed for Ulcerative Colitis treatment insights, leveraging the client’s proprietary medical database for participant recruitment. Key elements included:

1. Participants:

• Qualified gastroenterologists with 3–25 years of practice experience.

• Physicians treating a minimum of 20 patients with moderate to severe UC over a typical 3-month period.

2. Sample Size: 5 gastroenterologists from the Netherlands.

3. Mode of Interview:

• Conducted via Zoom with a native-speaking (Dutch) medical research moderator.

• Simultaneous translation ensured clarity and accuracy in capturing insights.

4. Interview Duration: Each session lasted 1 hour and 15 minutes.

5. Timeline: Research was conducted in November 2022.

Findings

1. Treatment Preferences:

• Physicians preferred biologic therapies for UC in patients with moderate to severe UC management due to their efficacy in reducing symptoms and preventing relapses.

• Concerns were expressed about the affordability and accessibility of advanced treatments for UC patients.

2. Challenges Identified:

• Managing side effects of long-term biologic use was a key concern.

• Physicians highlighted delays in UC diagnosis, often leading to advanced disease stages.

3. Unmet Needs:

• There was a demand for more personalized patient-specific treatment plans and approaches based on patient-specific disease progression and comorbidities.

• Availability of real-time data to monitor patient response to treatments was cited as a potential game-changer.

4. Regional Insights:

• Physicians in the Netherlands prioritized compliance with healthcare regulations & national healthcare policies and reimbursement frameworks while recommending therapies.

Outcome

The Healthcare study provided actionable insights that enabled the pharmaceutical company to:

• Develop targeted educational programs for physicians focusing on early diagnosis and innovative treatment options.

• Prioritize the development of new therapies addressing affordability and side effect management.

• Advocate for personalized treatment plans leveraging advancements in patient monitoring technologies.

• Strengthen collaboration with healthcare providers to improve treatment accessibility in alignment with local regulations.

Conclusion

The healthcare study successfully conducted physician behavior analysis and needs in managing UC. By leveraging these insights, the pharmaceutical company is better equipped to refine its product offerings, introduce physician-led healthcare strategies, enhance physician engagement, and improve patient outcomes in the Netherlands.

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