Who’s who in epilepsy? A medical market research guide June 7, 2013 What are the facts? Epilepsy is a neurological condition that causes seizures due to a sudden burst of excess electrical activity in the brain. This electrical activity creates a temporary disruption in the normal messages passed between brain cells and results in a seizure or fit. Most seizures happen suddenly without warning, last a short amount of time and stop by themselves, and the severity or type of seizure differs from person to person. How a person behaves during a seizure will depend on the area of the brain affected – some will experience a trance-like state for a few seconds or minutes, whilst others lose consciousness and suffer convulsions. Generally, epileptic seizures can be divided into two types: focal seizures where the epileptic activity starts in just a part of the brain, and generalised seizures where epileptic activity occurs in both hemispheres of the brain. written by GKA Read more
10 top tips for moderating medical focus groups June 1, 2013 It’s not surprising that focus groups are one of the most popular research methodologies out there – after all, they’re a great way to get insightful qualitative results and can be a faster alternative to individual interviews. However, the key to running a successful medical focus group is all in the moderating. A good moderator brings out the best in the participants, peeking into their minds and asking the right questions at the right time to gather deep insights. If you’re thinking about conducting a medical focus group as part for your next research project, read on for our top ten tips on successful moderation; written by GKA Read more
Do’s and don’ts of running market research online communities May 8, 2013 Market research online communities are one of the fastest growing methodologies in the market research world and are becoming increasingly popular in the healthcare sector too. When you look at all the benefits, it’s easy to see why: a well managed MROC provides a safe and secure place for participants to voice their opinions whilst also offering researchers a fast and cost-efficient methodology that enables easy access to hard-to-reach respondents. And because they fit in around respondents’ busy lives, the response rates can be pretty great, too. As with any research methodology, however, there are some key things to consider to ensure MROCs run smoothly – so if you’re thinking about using a market research online community for your next healthcare research project, make sure you have a read of our do’s and don’ts first; written by GKA Read more
Who’s who in Huntington’s disease? A medical fieldwork guide May 2, 2013 What are the facts? Huntington’s disease is an inherited condition that damages certain nerve cells in the brain. This damage gets worse over time and results in a gradual loss of function that causes problems with movement, cognition (perception, awareness, thinking and judgement) and behaviour. In the majority of cases Huntington’s disease is caused by an inherited faulty gene, however in around 3% of cases there is no family history. Huntington’s disease usually progresses and gets worse over a 10-25 year period from when it first appears, and during the later stages of the disease the person will be totally dependent and need full nursing care. written by GKA Read more
Five tips to engage participants during insight communities in healthcare April 18, 2013 Insight communities, or market research online communities as they are also known, are one of the fastest growing general market research methodologies – and we’re pleased to report that the healthcare industry is finally catching up and getting on board, too. It’s pretty easy to see why they’re so popular: when they are well managed, Market research online communities can provide unique insights into participants’ minds, allowing researchers to access qualitative information whilst enabling participants to voice their opinions in a safe and secure setting. written by GKA Read more
Who’s who in obesity? A medical market research guide April 6, 2013 What are the facts? Obesity is an increasingly common problem here in the UK – in fact obesity levels have more than trebled in the last 30 years, prompting fears that we are becoming the “fat man of Europe“. With 24.9% of the UK population being obese, we’re ahead of countries such as Spain (24.1), Germany (21.3%), Sweden (16.6%) and France (15.6%). And with current estimates predicting that more than half of the population could be obese by 2050, obesity is a very real long-term problem. written by GKA Read more