How we helped to assess the value of a mental health patient support program in Latin America

The challenge

Our client had developed Product X for cases of major depressive disorder (MDD) that do not respond adequately to appropriate courses of at least two antidepressants. Product X is sold in Latin America and must be administered in hospital where patients can be monitored and provided support in case of any adverse events. As such, physicians must convince patients that Product X is worth its high cost.

Therefore, market research was required to understand the best way for physicians in Latin America to communicate the value and benefits of Product X to their patients including with the use of various patient support programs (PSPs).

The solution

We conducted in-depth interviews with TRD patients and psychiatrists in Latin America.

• The initial phase of research was conducted among psychiatrists to understand what messages they would choose to convince their patients of the benefits and value of Product X.
• To generate an understanding of the extent to which a PSP might add to the value of Product X and what such a program should constitute, respondents were asked if there was a specific PSP that would make them feel more comfortable prescribing Product X. In addition, respondents were asked to discuss the potential pitfalls or areas of skepticism of such a PSP and what, if anything, could be done to address these concerns.
• The second phase of the research was conducted among patients to understand how persuasive the messages and PSP were and whether or not they would be willing to purchase

The outputs

We helped our client to understand how they could better enable physicians to convince their patients of the value of Product X. The key insights from our research included the most persuasive messages to convince patients and the value of PSPs as an additional reason to use Product X. In addition, we identified the particular PSPs required to increase uptake of Product X. These included programs to support patients in the following ways:

• Emotional support: Facilitating contact with other patients, caregivers and support groups
• Practical support: Providing transport to treatment sessions as well as educational materials e.g. How to take Product X
• Financial support: Arranging access to finance assistance such as drug reimbursement programs

Find out more about our experience in emerging markets.