Recently, a nice young man from company called Zitter Health Insights emailed to ask if I’d participate in project they’re doing. Called “Your Care Moments,” it consists of a series of surveys about patient’s healthcare experience, and in my case, as a patient with rheumatoid arthritis. Zitter chose me as a possible participant because of my RA blog activity.

Results from one of Your Care Moments survey questions. Click to embiggen.

In return for completing the survey, the fellow stated, Zitter would pay me. Then he asked if he could call me and tell me more about the project. He sounded so nice, and so earnest, that I said OK. A few days later, Keith—the nice young man—called and explained in more detail what Zitter and “Your Care Moments” were all about. He was just as pleasant on the phone as he was in his email, and I decided to go ahead and participate.

The following day I registered and filled out the first survey. It was simple, less than 10 minutes to complete. When I’d finished the last page, a window came up. It thanked me and assured me that there’d soon be a small stipend payment in my Pay Pal account in return for my information and time. And, it stated, in a few weeks, they’d send me another survey.

Keith called a couple of days later to ask how the survey had gone for me. I told him it hadn’t been a problem at all, and thanked him for picking me to participate. And that’s when he asked if I might tell all of you about it.

I told him I would, because I think what Zitter and Your Care Moments are doing is important and helpful for all of us as patients.

Zitter Health Insights does market research for pharma companies with the payer side of healthcare: medical directors, pharmacy directors, and managed care professionals. “What they think and recommend about different drugs … is

More question results.

so important,” Keith stated in an email, “but the most important decision sits with the patient who actually takes medicines and experiences our healthcare system.”

Your Care Moments provides insights into consumer habits, decisions, and healthcare experiences. They do this through short, online, anonymous surveys that they send to their registered patients. [like Keith did for me.] The surveys take 5-10 minutes to complete on computers or mobile devices, and Zitter pays per survey. The company keeps in contact with each participant over time to follow when they’ll next see a doctor or pick up a prescription in order to survey them when the information is still fresh in their minds. Patients don’t need to worry that Zitter might share their identities; the company never asks for names or addresses.

“We give patients a voice to their healthcare experiences and a way to make some money while doing it,” Keith stated. ”Pharma companies want to know what patients go through, think, and want. The more people we bring on board, the better our research results will end up and the more opportunities there are for patients.”

The amount of each payment for completing a survey varies according to its type and length. Zitter informs registrants how much each individual survey will earn before they start.

Zitter receives and analyzes the information they collect, then sells it to bio-pharmaceutical companies to help them gain insight into patient healthcare experience, opinions, and habits. Zitter doesn’t work for any specific company or drug. They never sell or share email addresses, and all information you share with them is safe.

If you’re interested in participating in Your Care Moments, like I do, and would like to make a few bucks for your survey answers and time, click here. To learn more about Zitter Health Insights, click here.