Reversing the decline in HCP participation sets out five key recommendations to arrest the decline in healthcare professionals’ (HCP) participation in market research.

The five recommendations aim to put respect for HCPs at the centre and put the onus on the market research industry to work harder at showing they value HCP time and expertise. 

In addition to improving screening – the taskforce worked with the BHBIA’s fieldwork forum to develop a separate set of principles covering screener design and best practice – and greater honesty about how long research will take, it also recommends high standards of research design, prompt payment and making it more convenient and comfortable for HCPs to take part in the research.

For example, scheduling more research for the late evening ( 9pm-12am), which many say is the best time for them to take part.

The BHBIA set up a task-force in response to industry-wide evidence that primary market research among HCPs is becoming slower, costlier and less credible because of declining HCP participation. 

John Aitchison, co-chair of the task-force, said: “These recommendations are based on insights from over 400 UK health professionals – including active, lapsed, and non-participants – and their swift uptake is needed to ensure the future credibility of healthcare market research, and to restore HCPs’ faith in our professionalism.”