About Hannah Eccard

Researcher with diverse experience in quantitative and qualitative research and a unique history of deriving actionable insights through analyzing datasets of 100,000+ data points and delving into primary source narratives. 6+ years designing custom surveys for patient-centered initiatives; specialist in crafting tailored language and utilizing complex logic. 3+ years leading healthcare research initiatives, including research into patient-provider communication, population research and deep-dive analysis into user experience. Areas of expertise include analyzing patient journeys, identifying unmet patient/caregiver needs, conducting message testing and revealing patient perspective in clinical trials.

Caregivers: An Untapped Resource for Clinical Research

Caregivers: An Untapped Resource for Clinical Research By Hannah Eccard, MA Caregivers provide substantial support to the health and well-being of patients in the US. One of their contributions involves helping patients search for, and participate in, clinical trials. Caregivers turn to Inspire for help finding and accessing clinical trials. My father was diagnosed [date] with stage 4 [type] cancer. He has been on numerous rounds of chemotherapy and last scan showed the cancer has progressed…We are now waiting news of any clinical trial he is eligible for…. He is in stable condition now without any issues... [...]

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Mar 2020By |0 Comments

Looking for Guidance? FDA and PFDD at “Patients as Partners” 2019

Looking for Guidance? FDA and PFDD at "Patients as Partners" 2019 By Hannah Eccard Pujita Vaidya, Senior Advisor, Patient Focused Drug Development (PFDD) program at the Center for Drug Development and Research (CDER) at the FDA, told an audience at the Patients as Partners Conference last week that patients are the experts on their conditions and on day-to-day life with their disease. A patient outcome—where improvement with treatment is meaningful in daily life—can only be understood in a patient’s own words. Vaidya noted that, “patients ‘chief complaints’ may not be factored explicitly into drug development plans.” 1 [...]

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Mar 2019By |0 Comments

A Look Across Inspire’s Annual Surveys

A Look Across Inspire’s Annual Surveys By Hannah Eccard Over the past four years, Inspire has conducted an annual survey of its members. Participation has been high, with an average of 10,000 members participating each year. This large pool of data over time provides a unique glimpse at the changes that have occurred in social media use in healthcare. The use of social media and mobile apps among patients and caregivers has changed dramatically over the past four years and Inspire’s annual survey data supports this. For example, in 2014, 70 percent of the over 13,000 respondents [...]

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Mar 2019By |0 Comments

Patient Engagement through Internet Research and Clinical Trials: Annual Survey Results

Patient Engagement through Internet Research and Clinical Trials: Annual Survey Results By Hannah Eccard Inspire delves in to new developments and continuing trends among patients and caregiver members through its new publication, Insights from Engaged Patients. Details from this fourth annual survey of 9489 respondents are available to download below but here are a few highlights to get you started. Using ICD-9/10 to code members’ interests and health communities, we segmented respondents into health condition groups. The five largest condition groups in this survey were Oncology (i.e. all types of cancer and cancer-related issues), Autoimmune (Rheumatoid Arthritis, [...]

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Feb 2019By |0 Comments

Using Quantitative and Qualitative Research to Enhance Patient Focused Drug Development

Using Quantitative and Qualitative Research to Enhance Patient Focused Drug Development By Hannah Eccard FDA’s focus of incorporating the patient voice into the drug development process requires the life science industry to engage in new research strategies. Based on what we're seeing so far from the FDA, it appears that the agency is closely considering the value of mixed methods: qualitative research along with quantitative research. Dr. Theresa Mullin, Associate Director for Strategic Initiatives at the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) at FDA, said at the first guidance meeting for Patient Focused Drug Development (PFDD) [...]

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Jan 2019By |0 Comments

A dazzle of zebras: Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes

A dazzle of zebras: Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes By Hannah Eccard On their website, The Ehlers-Danlos Society explains why people with Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes (EDS) call themselves zebras. “Medical students have been taught for decades that, ‘When you hear hoofbeats behind you, don’t expect to see a zebra.’ In other words, look for the more common and usual, not the surprising, diagnosis.” 1 People with EDS are the unexpected zebras. This rare connective tissue disorder characterized by joint hypermobility, skin elasticity and tissue fragility has recently, through the efforts of The Ehlers-Danlos Society, become more well known. Unfortunately many people [...]

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Dec 2018By |1 Comment