Our primary research with Indian physicians, healthcare officials and other experts for each disease is informed by secondary sources that detail the Indian healthcare system, pharmaceutical markets and treatment guidelines. The primary research includes two phases:
Qualitative Interviews
We conduct 10 in-depth qualitative interviews with leading Indian physicians who are typically heads of their departments and/or leaders in their medical society. Topics we explore with these physicians include:
- Patient access to healthcare and insurance
- Patient access and willingness to buy Western branded pharmaceuticals
- Patient presentation behavior
- Screening and diagnostic practices
- Vaccine use (if applicable)
- Treatment choice and drivers of choice
- Leading influential factors and anticipated changes in medical practice
- Role of alternative medicine (e.g., ayurvedic, yoga)
- Unmet needs and challenges in treating each disease
Physicians are recruited from leading hospitals in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and other leading medical centers.
Quantitative Surveys
The second phase of research is a survey of 120 Indian physicians, including general practitioners and specialists. The survey, conducted face-to-face, is informed by the results of the qualitative interviews and includes both quantitative and qualitative questions. Topics we explore in these surveys include:
- Percent patient diagnosed, treated and treated with Western medicine
- Percent patients screened, type of diagnostic practices
- Percent of patient population in various subgroups (e.g., severity, staging, viral status)
- Percent patients receiving specific drugs or other therapies
- Typical dosing for leading drugs
- Utilization of drugs by line of therapy
- Drivers of treatment choice and perception of leading therapies
- Ranking of unmet needs and challenges in treating the disease
Physicians are recruited from leading hospitals and clinics in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Jaipur and Lucknow, and regional differences are analyzed.
We also conduct in-depth interviews with selected industry and academic experts with knowledge of various aspects of the Indian healthcare system and pharmaceutical industry from the following institutions:
▪ Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India
▪ Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
▪ Harvard School of Public Health
▪ Other commercial organizations based in India, including financial firms and biopharma companies