Switzerland (Head Quarters)

IDR Medical Switzerland
Austrasse 95, CH-4051 Basel, Switzerland
T: +41 (0) 61 535 1109

UK

IDR Medical UK
Unit 104 Eagle Tower, Eagle Tower
Montpellier Drive, Cheltenham, GL50 1TA
T: +44 (0) 1242 696 790

USA

IDR Medical North America
225 Franklin Street, 26th Floor
Boston, Massachusetts 02110, USA
T: +1 (0) 617.275.4465

It examines how purchasing and access decisions are made — who influences them, what evidence is required, and how decisions progress from clinical interest to formal approval, procurement, and routine use.

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At IDR Medical, our work is grounded first and foremost in rigorous qualitative and quantitative MedTech market research. We support manufacturers when they are launching new products, entering new markets or care settings, or engaging stakeholder groups they have not historically sold to, particularly where market access pathways and buying dynamics are unfamiliar or untested.

In these situations, assumptions based on past success often break down. Our research provides the evidence needed to adapt market access, pricing, and commercial strategy to real-world buying conditions.

Why buying process and market access research matter in MedTech

Many medical devices fail to achieve expected uptake not because they lack clinical value, but because access and purchasing dynamics are misunderstood or misjudged at launch.

In MedTech, gaining access is rarely a single decision. It is a process shaped by multiple stakeholders, formal approval mechanisms, and operational constraints — often very different from those in a company’s core market.

Buying process and market access research becomes particularly important when:

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Entering a new geography or healthcare system

Moving into a new care setting (e.g. hospital to home, acute to outpatient)

Launching a new category of device or solution

Shifting from product sales to systems, platforms, or services

Selling to stakeholder groups with different access and approval authority

Without clear evidence on how access decisions are made, teams risk delayed adoption, pricing resistance, or stalled launches

Want to know more?

Reach out to our expert team who are on hand to help with any questions.

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How we research buying processes and market access pathways

Our approach combines deep primary research with structured analysis, designed specifically for situations where internal knowledge of access and buying dynamics is limited or unreliable.

Patient flow insight is used to anchor market access decisions in real clinical and operational reality.

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Buying-process and access decision-journey mapping

Mapping how new products move from evaluation through approval, procurement, and adoption across stakeholders and decision stages.

Procurement and Value Analysis Committee (VAC) research

Understanding how clinical value, economic evidence, and operational impact are assessed in formal market access and approval processes.

Stakeholder roles and influence analysis

Identifying who really matters in access decisions, how influence differs from core markets, and where misalignment exists.

Tender, contracting, and access-mechanism research

Exploring how access decisions are translated into tenders, frameworks, contracts, and pricing structures.

Patient flow and care-pathway studies (where relevant)

Providing context on where access decisions are triggered, how volume is created, and where access is structurally constrained.

From insight to confident market access decisions

Our buying process and market access research translates insight into clear, decision-ready guidance. Our role is not only to describe how access and purchasing work, but to help teams adapt their market access and launch strategy to unfamiliar environments.

Typical outcomes include

  • Clear understanding of how access dynamics differ from core markets
  • Evidence to refine value propositions for new access stakeholders
  • Guidance on structuring pricing, tenders, and approval arguments
  • Reduced friction during access approval and early adoption
  • Faster, more predictable access in new markets or segments
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Where buying process and market access research fits in the MedTech lifecycle

It typically follows market assessment and precedes pricing finalisation, launch execution, and sales enablement, ensuring downstream decisions reflect real access conditions. Buying process and market access research is most valuable when manufacturers are:

  • Entering new geographies or healthcare systems
  • Expanding into adjacent or unfamiliar segments
  • Launching new categories, indications, or business models
  • Experiencing slower-than-expected access outside core markets
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A practical evidence base for market access and expansion

Our research delivers a structured, decision-ready evidence base that commercial, market access, and leadership teams can use to navigate unfamiliar buying environments with confidence. Outputs support internal alignment, launch planning, and external justification — always grounded in how access and purchasing actually work in the target market.

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Case Studies

Explore our case studies focusing on Medical Device Buying Process & Market Access Research to discover how we have supported our clients to succeed in the past.

Clinical Workflows & Buying Decisions for a POC Diagnostic Device

Clinical Workflows & Buying Decisions for a POC Diagnostic Device

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Mapping the Cardiology Decision Ecosystem to Accelerate Therapy Adoption

Mapping the Cardiology Decision Ecosystem to Accelerate Therapy Adoption

Read the full case study
Patient Journey, Workflow Analysis & Concept Testing for a Point of Care Diagnostic Solution

Patient Journey, Workflow Analysis & Concept Testing for a Point of Care Diagnostic Solution

Read the full case study
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Frequently Asked Questions

Not usually. This research is most valuable when launching new products, entering new markets or care settings, or engaging stakeholder groups where existing assumptions no longer hold.

Local experience is valuable, but often fragmented and anecdotal. Buying process and market access research provides a structured, evidence-based view that can be scaled across markets.

We conduct research with the stakeholders who influence and decide on access and purchasing, including clinicians, procurement professionals, managers, payers, and members of Value Analysis Committees. The mix is tailored to the product, care setting, and launch context.

Ideally before finalising pricing, evidence strategy, or launch plans - but it is also valuable when early adoption is slower than expected or when entering unfamiliar markets or segments.

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If you are launching a new product, entering a new market, or facing unexpected access barriers, our expertise in medical device market research, combined with focused strategic advice, can help you reduce risk and accelerate adoption.

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