In the world of healthcare market research, artificial intelligence (AI) is currently the most talked-about topic. Yet, if we are being honest, the industry is still very much in the baby steps phase.
If you are joining us for this series for the first time, we recently sat down with one of our long-standing partners (a research director at a global healthcare strategy agency) to get their take on the state of the industry, and this time we’re sharing their opinions on AI innovation.
- Analysis-Side Efficiency: Currently, AI is most visible in the analysis phase, where it is used for auto-transcription, auto-summaries, and automated coding on the quantitative side.
- The Interrogation Potential: There is a growing appetite for AI tools that can do more than just summarize a single interview; partners are looking for the ability to interrogate a whole bunch of interviews to save time and unearth deeper patterns.
- A Lagging Industry: It is important to recognise that the healthcare market research space tends to lag a little bit behind the rest of the world due to its unique regulatory environment.
One of the things we've seen is that it is more in the quant space with the AI probing style of open questions. So that's something that we trialed. It works quite well. You get a lot more out of people."
One area where AI is already making a tangible difference is in the “AI probing of open questions” within quantitative surveys.
- Adding a Qual Element: This technology allows for real-time follow-ups on interesting respondent answers, adding a qualitative depth to what would otherwise be a standard open-ended question.
- Better Data Quality: Initial trials show that this method gets a lot more out of people, providing researchers with richer data to analyse.
- The Adverse Event Risk: There is significant concern regarding how to control AI in a healthcare setting. Clients worry that an AI could ask somebody anything and inadvertently trigger an adverse event that wasn’t properly managed.
- Data Privacy and MSAs: Many Master Service Agreements (MSAs) now explicitly state that client data cannot be introduced to AI tools, whether they are open or closed-source.
- The Sign-Off Challenge: Even when a great solution exists, researchers often face quite a lot of hoops to jump through to get the necessary internal compliance sign-off.
As a fieldwork partner, we understand that the goal isn’t just to use technology for the sake of it, but to find innovative ways to add value while keeping data secure. Our in-house expert team is uniquely placed to identify the right solution for your specific research needs. You can share your project details with us here, and we’ll work with you to design the best possible approach.
Having a secure solution, it's very, very much a moving target. And watch this space.
- Voice and Sentiment: We are already seeing success with voice technology to measure gut reactions and sentiment analysis, which adds an extra layer of insight to pre-tasks.
- A Moving Target: We are constantly monitoring the landscape to ensure that when we suggest an AI solution, it is one that can actually pass the tough ask of pharmaceutical compliance.
AI is undeniably a hot topic, but for our partners, the focus remains on finding a proper solution rather than just chasing a buzzword. While the most transformative applications are still a little way off, we are confident that the foundations we are building today will redefine the research landscape. Our role at m360 Research is to help our partners navigate these baby steps with confidence, trialling what works, like AI probing for richer data, while ensuring that every technological leap is backed by the rigorous security and compliance the healthcare industry demands. We aren’t just watching this space; we are actively shaping it to ensure our partners are first in line for solutions that actually deliver.
