Developing and Validating a Behavioral Science Tool to Measure the True Drivers of HCP Prescribing Behavior

Traditional market research captures what HCPs say they prefer but rarely explains why they prescribe the way they do. Blue Matter saw a need for a rigorous, scalable behavioral science tool, grounded in validated academic theory, that could move past stated preferences to measure the real drivers of prescribing: what providers know, what they believe, and what their environment enables or constrains. Rather than treat behavioral science as an add-on, the firm self-funded a dedicated pilot study to build and validate that tool.

Blue Matter developed a behavioral science module grounded in the COM-B model (Capability, Opportunity, Motivation) and tested it through a self-funded pilot. The study surveyed 400 treating HCPs across oncology, neurology, dermatology, and obesity, covering 15 brands including DUPIXENT, WEGOVY, KISQALI, and VYVGART, and underwent IRB review to support dissemination and eventual publication. Structural equation modeling validated an 18-item COM-B measure, confirming the three-factor structure and strong model fit in every therapy area. Path analysis then tested behavioral pathways to self-stated brand usage.

COM-B held across all four therapy areas while still surfacing the distinct behavioral pathways driving usage within each one. That combination showed the framework integrates the context of HCP decision-making with individual capability and motivation, identifying true drivers of brand usage in ways attitudinal research cannot. The validated tool launched as AmplifyRx™, a psychometrically sound module that can be embedded in any quantitative HCP study. Findings were presented at the 2025 Intellus Institute and the 2026 Pharma Market Research Conference, and AmplifyRx now informs client brand strategy, resource allocation, and tactical activation across therapeutic areas.