Best Practices in Conducting Effective Oncology Research Today

By Cathy Castaneda, Eric Stadius and Scott Tiell
Woman with cancer having home session with doctor

Over the past 20 years, HawkPartners has developed deep expertise in oncology, supporting numerous clients as they launch and develop groundbreaking new cancer therapies. As a part of our work, we often provide insights to support decision making at every stage of the oncology product life cycle.

However, conducting research in support of new and existing oncology products presents unique challenges beyond traditional pharma insights work:

  • Oncology patient journeys are long, complex, and involve many different stakeholders, each with varying levels of influence at each step of the journey
  • HCPs experience information overload with the abundance of new, niche products
  • The complex emotional factors underlying patient and HCP decision making can be more difficult to uncover in oncology than other therapeutic areas

Our experience in this complex therapeutic category has helped HawkPartners develop effective research and consulting solutions to meet your oncology brand’s objectives. Of course, the starting point for any project is careful consideration of each relevant challenge, to inform the optimal approach.

Oncology patient journeys are long, complex, and involve many different stakeholders, each with varying levels of influence at each step of the journey

Beyond physicians, treatment may be influenced by Nurse Practitioners or Physician Assistants, Clinical Nurse Educators, social workers, additional specialists, payers, oncology pharmacists, and a range of other players involved in oncology care, in addition to input from patients and their loved ones.

Considerations:

  • Narrow in on the step of the journey which aligns with key brand needs and/or objectives and identify the potential constituencies which may be most important to engage
  • Explore objectives holistically – especially determining whether a 360-degree approach including stakeholders beyond the patient might help inform the best path forward
    • Oncology patients often are less knowledgeable about treatment options and specifics – consider supplementing with HCP feedback to triangulate how patients may learn about and perceive a new treatment
    • Prescribers often deal narrowly with patient care; consider gathering feedback from nurses or admin staff for questions about peripheral care, financial assistance, insurance/access, and other key drivers of treatment options
    • Especially early in the journey, non-oncology specialists may play an outsized role in patient care, like Urologists who treat GU cancers
  • Establish whether the physician target is more likely to work in a community or academic setting depending on a brand’s time on market, potential patient population, and access considerations
    • Community HCPs tend to be generalists and treat a wide range of cancers, though they may have particular areas of interest. Given their wider scope, they tend to be slower adopters with stronger institutional and payer influences. This target is particularly relevant when there are questions around existing treatment options or approaches.
    • Those within academic institutions are more likely to specialize in specific cancer types (like lung, breast, GU, or blood cancers). Academics tend to be earlier adopters and often have access to a wider range of potential treatments or novel treatment paradigms. Their feedback is particularly helpful to understand reactions to new therapeutic options.

Challenge: HCPs experience information overload with the abundance of new, niche products

As the number of new therapies and combination approaches has exploded over recent years, many HCPs admit they struggle to keep track of all the options available or in development. What’s more, the treatment options may have only subtle distinctions and little RWE on efficacy and safety/tolerability.

Considerations:

  • Provide sufficient background and product detail to ensure respondents can answer research questions in an informed way
    • When appropriate, share target product profiles for the brand and any competitors relevant to the conversation
    • Ensure any shared stimuli is “voiced over” with appropriate context so respondents can react thoughtfully and comprehensively
  • Define the target audience based on their knowledge and engagement in the therapeutic area and then tailor research questions accordingly
    • Ensure screening criteria captures the “right” type of respondent who has appropriate knowledge and treats the relevant patient population
    • If research includes a less-expert Oncology audience, word questions so that they can be reasonably answered by those who do not spend a considerable amount of time engaging exclusively with the specific tumor or patient type
    • Consider “homework assignments” in advance of the interview to provide background information and “prime” respondents to be thinking about the topic
  • Additionally, as a result of the number of new therapies and new indications, Oncology audiences are at risk of becoming “over-researched”
    • Determine the appropriate frequency and pace of engagement with HCPs given market events and team needs
    • Utilizing agile approaches for testing and adapting stimuli can maximize feedback while reducing potential for respondent fatigue
    • Allowing for flexible engagement can help boost response rates (e.g., off-hours interviews, online bulletin board where HCP can log in at any time)

Challenge: The complex emotional factors underlying patient and HCP decision-making can be more difficult to uncover in oncology than other therapeutic areas

While understanding the rational decision-making process remains important (especially in such a data-driven therapeutic area), digging into more emotional, unfiltered aspects of behavior is critical to understanding what HCPs and patients will ultimately do when it comes to oncology treatment decisions.

Considerations:

  • Use approaches informed by Behavioral Science to uncover subconscious rationales for HCP behaviors, including treatment choice
    • Consider research design from the first interaction with the respondent: in qualitative discussions, small details like introductory questions and pace of questioning can place Oncologists in a different frame of mind
    • Incorporate creative techniques to assess gut reactions in addition to more thought-out responses. This can be as simple as using an emotion wheel or image sort to prompt creative thinking, or as in-depth as a deprivation exercise (“Imagine not having this treatment”) or role-playing the physician-patient dialogue.
  • Set up patient research to be as welcoming and supportive as possible to foster candid conversations
    • Understand that the degree to which patients may be willing and able to discuss their condition varies dramatically patient-to-patient, as well as day-to-day
      • Some types of cancer like GU and lung may include stigma surrounding the disease, whereas others like breast cancer and certain blood cancers have large visible public presence and support groups, making conversations easier
      • Engaging with patients at their speed and on their terms is crucial for a successful project
    • Caregivers are almost always valuable voices to include given they often are making or influencing treatment decisions for (or with) their loved ones
      • Separately interviewing caregivers of patients who participate in research can provide a unique window into common and differing emotional drivers and decision factors
    • Provide outlets for patients to share their experiences – as relevant to project objectives
      • Exploratory work might include a number of open-ended prompts and creative exercises
      • Leverage advance homework exercises with patients to allow them to share their perspective on their journey and its challenges while preserving their focus on the core objectives of the research

By using creative approaches to address the multiple challenges of conducting research in oncology, you’ll be able to more effectively leverage insights to drive strategy and growth in your oncology businesses.

Connect with us to discuss the challenges currently facing your oncology brand.