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At our recent STRAT7 Health roundtable in London, we were joined by leaders from across the healthcare sector to discuss the rapidly changing insights landscape.
A number of themes emerged with shared challenges and observations across organisations – but more importantly – opportunities to evolve and turn these shifts into strategic advantage.
The next STRAT7 Health roundtable will be taking place in Boston in April 2026 – if you’d be interested in attending this event, please drop us a note – events@strat7.com
Shift 1
From data overload to better clarity
We are drowning in more and more data, but more data does not equal an easier decision. It creates more choice – so we need even more clarity and conviction in opinion on which direction to take.
Storytelling is increasingly recognised as being vital for making insights actionable and memorable, especially as the volume and complexity of data grows.
But keeping insights alive is still challenging. Cross-functional collaboration is key to reconciling different perspectives and ensuring the narrative is owned and actionable.
Opportunity: Use storytelling and influence to cut through the noise and refocus on interpretation and bringing forward the insights that truly matter.
Shift 2
From outputs to outcomes
There is a growing pressure to demonstrate not just insight quality, but also insight value.
There is a push for insight teams to move away from legacy ‘comfort blanket’ projects and focus on initiatives that truly deliver measurable business value.
Efforts are being made to track the impact of insights from discovery through to activation, aiming to demonstrate ROI and reinforce the value of the function.
Some organisations are experimenting with behavioural contracts and closer partnerships to ensure insights are implemented and their impact is evaluated.
Opportunity: To build mechanisms and stories that attach insights directly to decisions made.
Shift 3
From AI hype to human-centered intelligence
AI is becoming a powerful accelerator surfacing historical insights, speeding up foundational work and helping teams to focus on more meaningful strategic questions.
Despite these advances, human judgment remains critical, especially when data is conflicting or when nuanced interpretation is required.
There is a need to manage internal expectations as stakeholders can often overestimate what AI can deliver. With more democratisation and access to insights, teams are also worried about outdated inputs and misinterpretation.
Human involvement in decision-making varies across the product lifecycle, with more data-driven approaches in early pipeline stages and greater human input as products near market.
Many organisations are moving towards dedicated brand / project specific agents to ensure they maintain vital context.
Opportunity: AI can do the heavy lifting, enabling more time for insight teams to do the heavy thinking – emphasising value of human judgement.
Shift 4
From supplier relationships to strategic partners
As internal data access continues to grow, organisations want and need more from their external partners. Agencies that can integrate multiple data sources (syndicated, primary, CI) and offer strategic synthesis are increasingly valued.
There is a growing need for external agencies to support innovation and future scanning, bringing in outside-in perspectives and expertise from other industries.
Opportunity: Amplified insights from partners who can stitch together multiple evidence streams and bring outside-industry intelligence and perspectives.
Shift 5
From specialist silos to hybrid insight teams
There is a shift toward hybrid roles that combine data science, analytics, and traditional market research skills, especially in larger organisations.
Integration of insights with forecasting and other data streams is becoming more common, requiring fluency in multiple ‘languages’ of data and business.
Team structures are evolving, with some organisations piloting product operating models that bring together insights, data science, and product teams from the outset.
The value and influence of insights teams have increased, with greater partnership roles in commercial and strategic decision-making.
Opportunity: To build unified, multidisciplinary insight engines that connect data science, analytics, forecasting, and market research
Shift 6
From a pharma only to a consumer mindset
The industry is steadily shifting toward more consumer-centric health experiences.
Patient journeys are becoming the backbone of strategy, and private/direct-to-consumer models are accelerating this change – especially in the UK.
This shift is prompting teams to invest more in future scanning and prediction to keep pace with rapidly evolving expectations.
Opportunity: Look outward, anticipate customer behaviour earlier, and adapt at speed.
Conclusion
These six shifts aren’t isolated trends – they’re interconnected signals of a function in transformation. The organisations that will thrive aren’t necessarily those with the most data or the most advanced tools, but those that use insight to drive decisions, build the right partnerships, and keep human judgement at the centre of an increasingly automated process.
If you’re navigating any of these shifts, we’d love to continue the conversation. Get in touch with the STRAT7 Health team.
About the team
Lizzie Eckardt is UK Managing Director at STRAT7 Incite. She has worked in pharmaceutical market research and brand, marketing and strategy consulting for 20 years. Lizzie is passionate about the intersection of culture and healthcare and specialises in getting closer to lived experience of HCPs and patients. She is also an expert at making those experiences actionable and meaningful for her client’s brands. She has worked with a range of methodologies and loves to innovate and bring consumer approaches into the healthcare world.