Case Studies

Cambridge Health Alliance:
ODC has conducted multiple studies for the Cambridge Health Alliance, a hospital organization based north of Boston, including a benchmark survey in 2002 and a tracking survey in 2005. The surveys looked at attitudes toward member hospitals and their competitors in nearby cities and towns. The hospitals, which concentrate in part on serving immigrant and low-income populations, were particularly interested in obtaining the views of these populations. To meet this objective, ODC carefully designed the sample to ensure enough interviews were completed with various immigrant populations. Only multi-lingual interviewers were used for this project, including those that spoke English, Spanish, and Portuguese. The results were used in part to develop strategies for improving the image of the hospitals, and attracting new patients.

Children’s Hospital of Richmond, VA:
The Children’s Hospital of Richmond began a process in which they were evaluating different options for the future of the organization. The decision-making depended on a thorough understanding of attitudes toward pediatric care in the general Richmond, VA marketplace. ODC worked with Siddall, a full-service marketing and communications firm based out of Richmond, to conduct a thorough study of the Richmond market. This included a telephone survey of parents and grandparents living in the greater Richmond area, as well as a study of opinion leaders throughout the region. Results were segmented based on hospital experiences, demographic characteristics.

Hurricane Voices Breast Cancer Foundation:
On behalf of a breast cancer foundation who mission includes educating the public on issues related to the disease, ODC has conducted large-scale surveys of the general population. The surveys looked at awareness of the causes and risks of breast cancer, willingness to take actions to join the fight against breast cancer, and awareness of the various organizations dedicated to the cause. The first study, conducted in 2002, was done prior to an outreach campaign; the second study, conducted in 2005, evaluated the success of the campaign in terms of awareness and changes in attitudes over a three-year period.

Contact: Ernie Paicopolos - epaicopolos@opiniondynamics.com