In healthcare, understanding the patient's perspective is crucial to developing breakthrough products and treatments. However, research is often diminished to quotas and fraudulent participants. And we get it - it’s cheaper, easier, and faster to do so! For insights that inspire action, companies need high-quality participants who can provide accurate and insightful feedback. This is where all of us at Thrivable focus our efforts, on developing a vetted and engaged database of patients that provide accurate and actionable insights.

So, why invest?

First you have to think about why you’re conducting research in the first place. Is it to check a box along a long and tedious GTM roadmap? Or is it to better understand the end user with the goal of saving time and money in the long run? We talk to clients every day who are returning to square one of research after spinning their wheels elsewhere trying to fight off bots and skewed insights. 

A few recurring themes we see with poor research:

Wasted resources: If a company invests in marketing or product development based on incomplete or inaccurate market research, it risks wasting resources on campaigns or products that may not resonate with consumers.

Missed opportunities: Without proper research, a company may miss out on identifying new markets or potential customer segments that could be profitable.

Reputation damage: If a company rushes to market without conducting proper research, it risks damaging its reputation if the product or campaign is poorly received. This can lead to negative reviews, word-of-mouth backlash, and a loss of customer trust.

Now how do we identify “High Quality Participants”?

When we talk about “high quality” versus “low quality” participants, we are referring to the participant’s ability to provide relevant and insightful information. A good starting point is comprehensive authentication processes to sift through bots and fraudulent participants. Once that first hurdle has been cleared, you can focus on deeper characteristics that set high quality participants apart. 

Relevance: High-quality participants are relevant to the research objectives and target market. They have the right demographics, characteristics, and behaviors that align with the research study. At Thrivable, we have rich targeting and filtering options that allow you to find the patients who are most relevant to your research.

Engagement: High-quality participants are engaged in the research process. They actively participate in the study, provide thoughtful and detailed responses, and are willing to go above and beyond to help the researcher gain valuable insights. On the other hand, low-quality participants may not be interested in the study, may provide vague or superficial responses, or may drop out of the study before completing it. This lack of engagement can compromise the validity of the study and reduce the quality of insights gained.

Honesty: High-quality participants are honest in their responses. They provide accurate and truthful information, even if it may not reflect positively on themselves or their behaviors. They understand that their feedback is essential to the success of the research study and are willing to provide candid responses. The key to getting honest insights is building trust with participants. At Thrivable, we build trust by keeping participants active and engaged long before we need them for a research study. These long-term relationships prove valuable in the long run. 

Reliability: High-quality participants are reliable and consistent in their behavior and responses. They follow through on their commitments, complete the study on time, and provide consistent and meaningful feedback throughout the research process. They understand the importance of their participation in the study and take their role seriously. Low-quality participants, on the other hand, may not be reliable, may provide inconsistent or contradictory feedback, or may drop out of the study before completing it. This unreliability can compromise the validity of the research results and reduce the quality of insights gained.

In conclusion, breakthrough product research demands high quality research participants, there’s no way around it. But by taking steps to ensure you’re working with the right patients, you can be confident in the data you collect and the insights you extract. 

If you’re interested in tapping into our diabetes database containing 2M+ data points from current, verified patients and caregivers, and pairing those panelists with Thrivable’s expertise in market research and human factors fulfillment, feel free to set up a call with our team.