There’s too much change in healthcare, as well as too many constraints, to just follow customers’ wishes. Rather, we need to dig deeper… and start examining what they really need.

Jobs to be Done is a way to understand what actually drives patients and clinicians. By digging deeper than surface-level demands, these insights enable healthcare companies to find new ways to excel, as well as what might be de-prioritized. Life science companies can find new levers to generate demand, providers can uncover new ways to drive profitable procedures, and payers can discover new means of improving members’ experience.

Innovation authority and pioneer of Jobs to be Done, Steve Wunker, will guide you through the process healthcare companies are using, building on his bestselling book Jobs to be Done: A Roadmap for Customer-Centric Innovation.

Through stories, interaction, and simple principles, Wunker shows audiences how to totally change their perspective on their business. Do you define your business by what you supply, or by what Jobs your customers are trying to get done?

- Presented by Steve Wunker

Medical device usage testing has been traditionally and reliably conducted in person, allowing participants to engage with the device. Three case studies will be presented illustrating different approaches to medical device testing: in-person, mixed methods, and entirely online.  The presentation will discuss the advantages, disadvantages and challenges of each approach and how a little pre-planning and flexibility can ensure successful outcomes when online is part of the mix.  

Attendees will take away:
- Comparisons of different approaches to medical device testing
- Methods to maximize research insights when conducting medical device testing virtually

Presented by: Caroline Volpe, Compass Market Research

Understanding the perspectives of diverse populations in healthcare research requires more than traditional methodologies it demands cultural intelligence, creativity, and authentic connection. In this session, (presenter), an accomplished marketer, master qualitative researcher, will share exclusive insights from qualitative research conducted with client-side healthcare insights practitioners. Attendees will explore practical strategies for designing inclusive studies, building trust in sensitive discussions, and amplifying patient voices in ways that resonate across stakeholders. Together, we'll uncover how honoring diverse stories can lead to more meaningful and actionable outcomes in healthcare.

Three Key Takeaways:

(1) Inclusive Research Design: Learn practical methods for engaging diverse and hard-to-reach populations with cultural intelligence and authenticity.
(2) Fostering Trust: Discover strategies for creating safe spaces that encourage open and honest dialogue on sensitive healthcare topics.
(3) Amplifying Patient Voices: Explore creative approaches to elevate patient perspectives and translate their stories into actionable insights that drive meaningful change.

- Presented by Cynthia Harris, 8:28 Insights

Highmark Health recognized two important dynamics occurring in the market (1) the senior population, who face an increase in chronic conditions is growing and (2) there is an increase in technology available to help support better health outcomes.  To identify these trends, (Client company) embarked on a multi-phase research program to deeply understand the barriers Seniors face when it comes to health and technology engagement.  Using "traditional" research techniques, including in-home ethnographies, diaries and live product-trials, (Client company) was able to immerse themselves in the lives of Seniors to identify the moments that matter most and what needs to be true in digital solution delivery for Seniors.  These learnings have fueled guiding design principles, current solution enhancements and future opportunity development.   

What You'll Learn:  
- Why + when to re-introduce traditional research techniques to gain the deepest insights 
- How to maximize traditional research techniques from insight gathering to internal storytelling
- How to generate immediate actions + long-term principles to ensure utility of research investment + insights

- Presented by Erin Higgins, Highmark Health

HCPs can be "frequent fliers" in market research, resulting in them falling back on polished, familiar answers to frequent research topics. 
We will review how (agency) incorporates the patient into HCP research to help break HCPs out of these answers, allowing us to: close the gap between stated vs. actual behavior, drive enhanced HCP engagement, break HCPs outside of their science brain, and increase team engagement. 
We will review several research techniques (along with a few case studies) that leverage the patient voice in HCP research, along with an overview of best practices of when they're most appropriate: Patient Actors, AI Avatars, Bridge Groups, and WorldBuilding.

- Presented by Jeff Whiteside, The Link Group

Many healthcare marketers wish they could be a fly on the wall to observe the HCP-patient interaction in the treatment room. Having a better understanding of how specific topics are raised, who initiated the discussion and how a decision is made can provide invaluable insights for brands. 
In this presentation, we will demonstrate how we capture audio recordings of very targeted visits, coupled with post-visit interviews with both the HCP and the patient to dig in deeper. We will present a case study where we conducted this research globally in a fully compliant manner. Learning from this case study include:
1) It is possible to glean insights at the point-of-care and understand the why behind some of the decisions that are made. 
2) Often assumptions about why your brand is not being prescribed are incorrect.
3) Having this patient-centric information is key to better positioning your product for the right patients.

- Presented by Melissa Usseglio, KJT

In this hour-long presentation and interactive seminar, David Intrator introduces attendees to the basic concepts of effective storytelling and how they can apply to healthcare communications across all media.

“What Does It All Mean?” explores what a story actually is (and what it’s not), along with the importance of having a Unifying Idea that holds the story together and a Story Structure that moves it forward. Numerous real-world examples from marketing communications, including those from healthcare, will be shown to illustrate these concepts. 

Additionally, attendees will get the chance to create a rough draft of a story, assisted by a structural outline. Some of these will be shared with the group and discussed. 

All in all, they will leave with a stronger idea of a what a story is, a way of thinking that will help them turn a collection of insights into a coherent narrative whole, and practical experience in creating a story of their own. 

- Presented by: David Intrator, RTi Research