Understanding patients’ daily experience and journey with dialysis

Patients suffering from chronic kidney disease (CKD) need to cope with demanding treatments and complex intrusive medical devices necessary for the administration of in-home peritoneal dialysis (PD). Baxter China develops a range of therapeutic treatments for these patients but also offers support services to improve their experience with their disease. In order to continuously reinforce the value proposition for patients and to increase their satisfaction and brand loyalty, Baxter China was interested to commission an in-depth patient study. The objective of the study was to better understand patient experiences, their attitudes towards their condition, and their satisfaction with their treatment.

Integrate the behavioral sciences in market research techniques

To answer this challenge, Observia proposed leveraging its proprietary market research methodology, which integrates the use of behavioral science techniques and a holistic approach to the patient journey. It focuses on identifying key moments of truth across three different domains: the patient’s clinical, emotional, and behavioral journeys. We also included Observia’s SPUR profiling methodology and the “Peak-End Rule*” to gain an understanding of the key moments in the formation of patient attitudes and how different types of patients deal with these moments.

To obtain PD patient insights, we used a 3-step methodology:

• General questionnaire about the patient & their disease
• SPUR™ questionnaire to capture behavioral drivers
• In-depth patient discussions to capture life experiences and emotions

*Kahneman, Daniel et al “When More Pain Is Preferred to Less: Adding a Better End.” Psychological Science 4, no. 6 (1993): 401–405.