One of the most appreciated aspects of Intellus this year was its intimate atmosphere. Unlike massive industry events, the conference fostered deeper conversations and direct collaboration between agencies, consultants, panel providers, and clients. Seeing familiar names and faces always feels like a reunion, but what stood out most was how closely sessions aligned with the realities of our daily work, tackling tangible issues with actionable insights and practical strategies that healthcare research teams can implement immediately.
At L&E Research, our healthcare team came away energized by key themes: deeper partnerships, thoughtful integration of emerging technologies, and an unwavering focus on the people at the heart of every study: patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals (HCPs).
Here are our key takeaways shaping how we continue to support our clients and the communities we serve.
The days of simply being a behind-the-scenes research provider are over. Organizations are increasingly looking for true thought partners: teams that provide holistic insights, agile solutions, and a comprehensive understanding of their audience.
At L&E Health, we’re committed to being more than a recruitment partner. We proactively offer perspectives that might otherwise go unnoticed, particularly from harder-to-reach populations like patients and HCPs. Cross-functional collaboration allows us to maintain agility and elevate our role as strategic advisors. It’s about shaping smarter, more human-centered insights.
AI was unsurprisingly a central focus at Intellus. The message was clear: organizations must experiment with AI now or risk falling behind. However, adopting AI effectively requires intentional support from leadership to ensure teams have time to explore and build essential skills.
Integrating AI in healthcare research presents challenges alongside opportunities. Can AI-driven chatbots genuinely build rapport? How well can they interpret subtle, nonverbal cues essential in healthcare conversations? While AI offers significant potential – like global consistency, multilingual support, cost efficiency, and geographic reach – it still lacks the critical empathy of human moderation.
A particularly urgent issue raised was adverse event (AE) reporting requirements, which demand a response within 24 hours. If AI is moderating, who’s monitoring in real time? Can we risk missing a serious patient-reported outcome because no human is present to interpret or escalate it?
Another critical tech consideration is accessibility. Mobile-first research methods are essential for reaching participants where they are, particularly busy HCPs and lower-income patient populations whose primary internet connection is their smartphone. However, incompatible technology can unintentionally exclude these critical voices. Addressing this isn’t just a technical issue; it’s fundamental to inclusivity and quality of insights.
The future of AI in healthcare research is promising but requires thoughtful, responsible implementation and human oversight to ensure quality and safety.
McKinsey Consulting presented a powerful roadmap for healthcare insights teams seeking to increase their strategic impact:
These strategies resonate with our mission at L&E: empowering healthcare organizations to act quickly, connect meaningfully, and lead with insights driven by authentic patient and provider experiences.
Healthcare is deeply personal. The insights we gather must reflect that truth – not just through data, but through the stories, needs, and voices of the people behind the numbers.
As we continue to evolve alongside our clients, our focus remains clear: helping brands navigate complexity with confidence, bring diverse voices into the fold, and leverage the best of both technology and human connection to improve outcomes.
We’re proud to be your partner on that journey.
Let’s keep the conversation going. If your healthcare insights team is rethinking its approach, we’d love to talk about how L&E Health can support your vision. Because when it comes to understanding people, we’re the people for you.
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