Wooden blocks with person icons, one highlighted, representing targeted physician screening
Sizing a Niche Structural Heart Market: A Survey of 104 Cardiologists
A two-phase study of US cardiologists paired a broad screen with a targeted survey to size demand for closing iatrogenic atrial septal defects.
A manufacturer wanted to size the market for closing iatrogenic atrial septal defects (iASDs), the small holes that can remain after transseptal procedures.
The study ran in two phases.
Phase 1 consisted of 13 qualitative Zoom interviews lasting 45 to 60 minutes with nine interventional cardiologists and four electrophysiologists. These explored decision-making on closure and crossing and tested the survey.
Phase 2 was a 25-minute online market sizing survey. To qualify, physicians had to close iASDs, cross septal occluders, or both. That focused the sample on relevant experience.
Of 173 physicians screened, 63% had experienced a procedure in which an iASD required closure or monitoring, 39% had personally closed one, and 49% had crossed a septal occluder.
The final survey sample was 104: 79 interventional cardiologists and 25 electrophysiologists.
Routing by experience mattered. Electrophysiologists were rarely involved in closure, so most of their input came on crossing, where they had direct experience.
Pairing a broad screen with a targeted survey gave the client both an estimate of how common iASDs are and detailed data from the cardiologists who handle them.
Related case studies:
US & Europe – 125 Interventional Cardiologists: PVL Closure Market Sizing
US & Europe – 26 Cardiologists: LAAO Unmet Needs Research
Need to recruit interventional cardiologists and electrophysiologists? See our fieldwork recruitment services or email intel@mrdoctor.com.
