The Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) framework is a simple but powerful way to understand what people are truly trying to achieve when they seek out a product, service, or solution. In healthcare, this means shifting away from focusing only on what's being prescribed or delivered – like a treatment plan or informational pamphlet – and instead, identifying the underlying goal or emotional need a patient is trying to fulfill.

Rather than asking, “What information should we give patients about their treatment?” JTBD asks, “What are patients trying to accomplish in their lives that this treatment supports – and how can our messaging help them get there?”

Why JTBD Matters in Healthcare Communication

Traditional health communication often centers on clinical facts or process steps: take this medication, follow these post-op care instructions, return in two weeks. But for patients, those instructions are just tools. The real objective might be something like:

• “Get back to caring for my kids”
• “Avoid becoming a burden on my family”
• “Understand enough to make the right decision”
• “Feel safe during a confusing process”

Using the JTBD framework in healthcare organizations can unlock valuable insights into what matters most to patients. When your messaging aligns with those deeper needs, educational materials become more than just informational – they become personally relevant and actionable.

JTBD in Practice: How It Works

Here’s a simple way to think about JTBD in a healthcare setting: Every time a patient receives a diagnosis, fills a prescription, or scrolls through an online educational resource, they’re trying to solve a problem in their lives. JTBD puts a name to that problem and helps clarify what success looks like from the patient’s perspective.

This can apply across many healthcare marketing touchpoints, such as:

• Designing patient education campaigns
• Writing clearer post-op care instructions
• Improving digital portals and self-service tools
• Creating advertising or outreach tailored to real needs

Ultimately, JTBD helps teams create more empathetic, customized healthcare content tailored to patient needs – not just clinical goals.

Understanding the most common 'jobs' patients are trying to accomplish can dramatically improve how health communication is framed. Depending on a person’s condition, life stage, or personal values, their JTBD may vary – but certain patterns rise to the top.

What Are 'Jobs' in a Healthcare Context?

In JTBD terminology, a 'job' isn’t about employment – it's about progress. It’s the goal a person has in mind when they turn to healthcare solutions. These jobs often blend functional, emotional, and social dimensions.

For example, after surgery, patients aren’t only concerned with healing a wound (functional) – they also want to feel confident taking care of themselves (emotional) and avoid asking family for too much help (social). Crafting messaging with all these layers in mind results in more effective patient education.

Examples of Patient Jobs That Drive Better Messaging

Let’s look at some common patient 'jobs' seen across different healthcare scenarios and how they can guide communication strategies:

• “Regain control of my health” – Often seen in chronic condition management. Patients want to feel empowered through education that is clear, step-by-step, and doable.
• “Protect my family from risk” – Especially relevant in public health or infectious disease contexts. Messaging should emphasize how simple actions benefit the family or household unit.
• “Understand what’s happening to me” – A core goal for newly diagnosed patients. Simplifying language and reducing medical jargon supports better health literacy.
• “Get back to my normal life” – Common in post-op care or recovery journeys. Post-op care instructions should clearly map to the activities patients want to resume.
• “Avoid being a burden” – For aging patients, clarity and independence are key. Encouraging self-efficacy through understandable instructions can be meaningful.

Fictional Example for Clarity

Consider a fictional patient, Maria, who recently had minor knee surgery. Her care team provides detailed post-op instructions – but Maria’s main concern is being able to drive again so she can pick up her grandchildren. By understanding her 'job' – “get back to being an active grandparent” – the care team can tailor recovery messaging to show what success looks like on her terms, not just according to the physical healing timeline.

Why This Matters for Healthcare Marketers and Leaders

When teams base content on patient jobs, they create healthcare messaging that resonates, motivates, and clarifies. This can greatly improve:

• Adherence to treatments and post-op protocols
• Patient engagement with education materials
• Trust in care providers and healthcare brands
• Outcomes, as patients take action that aligns with their goals

Using JTBD in patient education strategies doesn’t require a complete system overhaul – but it does require teams to pause and ask: What job is this content helping patients accomplish? That simple question can transform the impact of your health communication efforts.

How JTBD Improves Educational Materials and Post-Op Instructions

Many times, healthcare providers create patient education materials based on what they believe patients need to know. While well-intentioned, these materials can miss the mark if they don’t align with patients' actual motivations and concerns. The Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) framework shifts the focus from what providers think patients should do to what patients aim to accomplish in their daily lives.

Understanding patient 'jobs' brings clarity to how patients interact with instructions, especially in vulnerable moments like after surgery or during diagnosis. JTBD helps healthcare teams ask: What is the patient trying to achieve right now?

Consider a fictional example: A patient is sent home after a minor heart procedure. The medical team gives detailed post-op care instructions, filled with technical terms and strict schedules. But what the patient really wants is “to safely return to caring for my grandchildren.” When healthcare messaging speaks to that job, the format and content shift – plain language explanations, helpful visuals, steps organized around readiness to resume daily life.

This JTBD-focused approach to healthcare communication leads to:

• More relevant content: Aligning advice with what patients are trying to do creates stronger motivation to follow through.
• Higher health literacy: Simplified, actionable content supports diverse education levels and learning styles.
• Improved post-op care compliance: Instructions are no longer just lists – they're tools for getting back to familiar routines.

Using JTBD in patient education strategies can elevate new content or improve existing materials. For example, rather than a standard leaflet on wound care, a JTBD-first version might address the job “feel confident my healing is on track,” including self-check visuals, progress timelines, and tips tailored to that specific job.

Ultimately, when health communication is shaped by real-life goals instead of assumptions, patients feel seen – which leads to better engagement and outcomes.

Benefits of JTBD for Healthcare Marketers and Providers

Integrating the Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) framework brings powerful advantages to both marketers and providers within healthcare organizations. By understanding the true motivations behind patient behavior, teams create more meaningful, efficient, and impactful health messaging that cuts through noise and meets people where they are.

1. Improved patient engagement
Traditional messaging often revolves around explaining processes or emphasizing protocols. JTBD shifts that lens to patients’ goals – for example, helping someone “regain energy to return to work” after illness. When healthcare content is tailored to patient needs, it sparks deeper emotional connection and increases the likelihood that patients will take action.

2. Smarter resource allocation
By focusing on what truly matters to patients, providers and marketing teams can avoid wasting time or budget on generic materials that don’t perform. Teams gain clarity on what should be explained, how, and why – reducing guesswork and increasing the ROI of content development.

3. Greater consistency across communication touchpoints
JTBD helps unify messaging across teams – from clinical staff to marketing specialists – by grounding communication in shared understanding of patient priorities. This leads to more coordinated outreach and fewer gaps in care explanations or follow-ups.

4. Customization for diverse audiences
Every patient population brings distinct lifestyles, barriers, and expectations. The JTBD framework in healthcare organizations allows for segmentation not just by demographics, but by job types – such as “live independently with diabetes” or “keep up with my active lifestyle after a procedure.” This level of insight allows messages to resonate with different life contexts.

5. Reinforced brand trust
Patients increasingly expect healthcare providers to understand them as individuals, not just cases. Demonstrating that you see – and respect – their priorities helps build authentic relationships. These experiences drive longer-term loyalty and stronger brand perception.

In short, JTBD healthcare strategies turn consumer research insights into action. They give healthcare providers and marketers a concrete lens for shaping care plans, outreach campaigns, or educational content that speaks directly to what people actually need and want – helping everyone achieve better outcomes, together.

Getting Started: How to Apply JTBD to Your Patient Messaging Strategy

Whether you're designing a new health literacy program, refining post-op care materials, or planning a public awareness campaign, the Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) framework offers a valuable path forward. Here’s how healthcare teams can begin using JTBD to shape more effective patient communication strategies:

Start with empathy-driven discovery

Begin by engaging with real patients to explore what truly motivates their decisions, questions, and frustrations. Through consumer research methods like interviews, field visits, or qualitative studies, uncover emotional drivers like “get back to feeling normal,” “support my aging parent,” or “be prepared for anything.” This human-centered insight gives JTBD its power to improve patient engagement.

Map out core patient jobs

Once key themes emerge, organize them into distinct JTBD categories. These are the recurring jobs patients are trying to carry out across typical healthcare moments – before treatment, during care, and after discharge. For example: “understand my options,” “stay ahead of chronic symptoms,” or “avoid a hospital readmission.”

Design content and messages around each job

Now come the practical applications. Build or revise materials according to what the patient is trying to do – not just what the provider wants to say. Use JTBD examples in patient messaging to personalize tone, illustrate real-life priorities, and align instructions with what people care about most.

Tip: Match reading level, format, and delivery channel to the job context. A patient recovering at home may benefit from reminder texts, while a newly diagnosed individual might need visual explainers and interactive tools.

Test, refine, repeat

JTBD isn’t a one-and-done approach. It works best when teams treat it as part of an ongoing feedback loop. Conduct follow-up research to learn what helped or hindered patients in achieving their healthcare goals – and adjust accordingly. Whether you're updating post-op care instructions or rethinking broader healthcare marketing strategies, small improvements can drive big results when grounded in JTBD thinking.

Getting started with JTBD doesn’t require a full overhaul – it begins by asking better questions and listening closely to patient answers. From there, healthcare leaders unlock more relevant messaging, more confident patients, and more aligned teams across marketing and care delivery.