Creating empathetic patient centric solutions for living in constant pain

A global pharmaceutical company was seeking to develop a deep and nuanced understanding for people living with and caring for pain. In doing so, the company would be equipped to a) include patient-centric endpoints in their Phase 2 trials, and b) develop products and services beyond the pill, improving outcomes and brand loyalty.

Although pain is one of the most common human experiences, it is also one of the hardest experiences to express. Despite how common it is, pain can never be fully understood by others. The result is often a sense of pervasive mistrust that defines the HCP-patient and society-patient experience, often leading patients to minimize/hide/downplay their experience.

Engaging with patients who live with pain requires rebuilding trust. We leveraged experience design research techniques that forefront trust (over getting data) and are participant-driven (over researcher driven). This ultimately enabled us to uncover what the experience of living with pain is really like.

Leveraging an Experience Design mindset and process, the team solved for the most impactful social, emotional, logistical, and physical unmet needs of patients and caregivers.