Participation and Consent Policy
Last updated: 23/10/2026
You will soon be participating in a market research study conducted by Optigage, a Belgian research agency specialising in healthcare.. Below, we provide information about the rules and procedures we follow. We ask you to read this information carefully and provide your consent before participating in the research.
Purpose of market research
The purpose of market research is always to collect information, never to influence you or to ‘sell’ you anything.
Sponsor
To ensure that the discussion is as open as possible, the identity of the sponsor will not be disclosed. This is also relevant to the Belgian transparency framework for relationships between healthcare companies and healthcare professionals, including the Sunshine Act and the public transparency platform beTransparent.be, which is managed by Mdeon. For bona fide market research conducted on a double-blind basis, the sponsor will not receive information that identifies you personally and you will not be informed of the sponsor’s identity during the research.
Belgian transparency framework
Because this market research is organised so that the sponsor does not know your identity and you do not know the sponsor’s identity, participation and compensation are not intended to be disclosed to the sponsor as an individually attributable transfer of value. If the study design or disclosure of identities changes, the applicable Belgian transparency obligations must be reassessed.
Anonymity
You have been invited to participate as a representative of your professional group, rather than as a private individual. You will therefore remain anonymous. Our sponsor will never receive any information from us that could identify you personally.
Video and audio recordings
Minutes are prepared following all interviews we conduct, sometimes with the assistance of an AI tool. For this reason, we record all interviews.
These video and/or audio recordings will not be shared with our sponsor without your consent. The sponsor may review or listen to the recordings afterwards if you give your permission.
The sponsor may also observe and/or listen to the interviews taking place on [date]. This will never include field sales representatives. All individuals observing or listening to the interviews are required to sign a declaration stating that, should they recognise you, they will not disclose or otherwise indicate this in any way.
The interviewer will only allow the sponsor to observe the interview after the procedure has been explained to you and you have given your consent. You will then be asked to introduce yourself without mentioning your name.
Compensation
You have been informed in writing of the compensation you will receive for participating in the market research. The compensation is intended to reflect fair market value for your time and expertise and must not be linked to prescribing, recommending, purchasing, supplying, selling or administering any medicinal product or medical device. The applicable Belgian rules include the Code of Ethics and guidance applied by Mdeon, as well as the legal framework governing interactions with healthcare professionals.
For Belgian tax purposes, you remain responsible for complying with any personal tax obligations that may apply to the compensation you receive. Optigage may request and retain the information reasonably necessary to administer the payment and to meet applicable accounting, tax and record-keeping obligations. These data will be processed in accordance with the GDPR and applicable Belgian privacy legislation.
Code of conduct
The above is in accordance with applicable market research and healthcare-sector standards, including ICC/ESOMAR guidance, Belgian transparency legislation, the Mdeon ethical framework and, where relevant, industry codes such as those supported by pharma.be.
Data protection
Optigage attaches great importance to protecting your privacy and personal data. Our privacy statement describes which personal data we collect and how we process, share and protect these data when you use our services.
Questions
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the person who invited you or Manuel Bollue. He can be reached by email at manuel@optigage.com.
Adverse Event Reporting Protocol
We, Optigage market research agency, are required to report details of any adverse events and product quality complaints that you may mention during the market research to the pharmaceutical company sponsoring the study. This applies when the report concerns one of the sponsor’s products.
Your responses during this research will, of course, be treated confidentially. However, if you mention a product quality complaint or an adverse event involving a specific patient or group of patients, we are required to report this information.
This obligation also applies if you have already reported the event or complaint directly to the company or to the Belgian Federal Agency for Medicines and Health Products (FAGG/AFMPS).
All your other responses during this research will, of course, remain confidential.