Patient Journey Study in Rare Intractable Respiratory Disease

A global pharmaceutical company sought to understand the real-world experiences and unmet needs of patients living with a rare intractable respiratory condition across their diagnostic and treatment journey. The study also explored patients’ awareness of and expectations toward emerging new treatment options.

• IDI (90 min, face-to-face) with N=11 patients — conducted in meeting rooms near patients’ hospitals to minimize travel burden and psychological stress, with thorough infection prevention measures
• IDI (online) with N=5 physicians and nurses — covering initial symptoms, diagnosis pathways, treatment selection and follow-up practices, and frontline perspectives on patient challenges
• Hands-on evaluation of multiple treatment device prototypes with patients to assess usability, real-world impact on daily life, and long-term use concerns

• Clarified patient and physician decision-making structures at each key milestone — diagnosis, testing, and treatment initiation — revealing patterns unique to the Japanese market
• Mapped psychological and lifestyle challenges across the full patient journey, identifying common anxieties at diagnosis and key considerations for patient care
• Generated insights into usability, daily life impact, and concerns around continued use across multiple device types and administration methods