In the simplest terms, the Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) framework helps us understand what people are trying to achieve in a specific situation. While this concept originated in product development and marketing, it’s proving to be especially powerful in healthcare – an industry where real-world human needs often extend far beyond a diagnosis or prescription.

So, what is Jobs to Be Done in healthcare? It refers to the process of uncovering what outcomes patients are truly seeking when they engage with healthcare services. These aren't clinical goals like lowering blood pressure or reducing pain – although those are certainly important. JTBD focuses on functional, social, and emotional needs that drive behavior. Think: "I need to feel confident I'm doing the right thing for my child," or “I want to avoid feeling overwhelmed when managing my diabetes.”

Traditional models often group patients based on demographics or conditions. JTBD flips the lens, organizing around intent and context. This makes it easier for healthcare providers, system designers, and innovation teams to build solutions that resonate with what patients care about most.

Types of Patient Jobs You Might Encounter

• Functional jobs: Managing medications, booking appointments, understanding treatment plans
• Emotional jobs: Feeling heard, lowering anxiety, regaining confidence post-treatment
• Social jobs: Maintaining independence, being seen as capable, supporting family roles

For example, consider a fictional patient recovering from knee surgery. The physical goal might be walking again without pain, but their emotional job could be “feeling in control of my recovery.” If a provider only addresses the physical aspect, they may miss critical opportunities to support and engage that patient holistically.

Understanding these various types of jobs leads to more thoughtful healthcare innovation. Digital health tools, appointment systems, or post-care education platforms can be designed to serve the actual needs driving patient behavior – not just the surface-level symptoms.

JTBD is also highly actionable within customer insights and market research. Patient journey mapping, persona development, and even communications strategy benefit from knowing what really motivates people. At SIVO Insights, we use these principles to help brands unlock more meaningful, human-centered ideas and strategies within their healthcare offerings.

In many healthcare settings, care pathways are driven by symptoms, diagnoses, and treatment protocols. These are important tools for clinical decision-making – but they don't tell the full story of why a patient seeks help or what success looks like for them. That’s where the JTBD healthcare approach offers crucial value.

By diving deeper into patient motivations, healthcare teams can uncover hidden pain points, unmet needs, and emotional drivers that influence how people experience care. These insights help move beyond a one-size-fits-all approach, resulting in care that feels personal, responsive, and empowering.

Here’s why JTBD matters more now than ever:

• Patient expectations are changing: As consumers, people are used to personalized, on-demand experiences in nearly every other industry. Healthcare is catching up, and aligning with what patients really want from healthcare is increasingly a competitive advantage.
• Healthcare decisions are emotionally driven: Health choices are rarely about facts alone. Fear, trust, frustration, or hope often influence whether a patient follows through on care or remains loyal to a provider.
• Complex journeys need clarity: From diagnosis to long-term management, the patient journey can be complicated. Understanding JTBD helps organizations see the journey from the patient's point of view – not just the provider's process.

For instance, take a fictional parent managing a child’s asthma. Of course, they want to reduce symptoms. But a key job-to-be-done might be: “I want to avoid last-minute ER visits so I can feel like a reliable parent.” Tailoring communications or tools to meet that job makes the care experience not just more effective – but more emotionally meaningful.

Incorporating JTBD in healthcare insights doesn’t mean ignoring clinical data. Rather, it complements it. When paired with market research methods – such as in-depth interviews or patient shadowing – JTBD frameworks bring rich, narrative layers to quantitative outcomes. This allows teams to design with empathy while still staying grounded in data.

Ultimately, improving patient experience with JTBD doesn’t just benefit patients. It drives better engagement, reduces churn, and supports more strategic healthcare innovation. For decision-makers tasked with improving care quality, increasing loyalty, or navigating the future of healthcare trends 2025, understanding jobs to be done is no longer optional – it’s essential.

Many healthcare journeys may seem straightforward on paper – a diagnosis leads to treatment. But when we look deeper using the Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) framework, we often discover that the true "job" a patient is trying to accomplish goes far beyond simply receiving care. These insights help providers and healthcare organizations meet patient needs in more meaningful, human-centered ways.

Examples of JTBD in Healthcare

Here are some common, real-world-inspired examples of Jobs to Be Done that can emerge during healthcare market research. These are fictional, but based on typical patient motivations and patterns uncovered through JTBD in healthcare contexts:

• “I want to feel in control of my condition.” – A patient with diabetes might not just want medication; they may want tools, education, and coaching that help manage their lifestyle with confidence.
• “I want to avoid feeling like a number.” – In crowded systems, patients often seek personalized care that makes them feel seen and heard, not rushed through appointments.
• “I want to minimize disruption to my daily life.” – For many, the goal is not just healing, but maintaining normalcy – staying at work, avoiding long commutes to clinics, or reducing side effects.
• “I want to make decisions without feeling overwhelmed.” – Health literacy varies widely. Patients often need clearer information and fewer options that lead to more confident choices – not just access to data.

Going Beyond Symptoms

These examples highlight how JTBD goes beyond clinical indicators. It taps into emotional and practical drivers that influence patient behavior, engagement, and satisfaction. Helping patients complete their job – whether it’s regaining autonomy or easing anxiety – can be just as important as addressing the illness itself.

Understanding the deeper why behind a patient’s actions allows healthcare providers to adapt experiences, messaging, and care design accordingly. And as we look ahead to healthcare trends in 2025, meeting these hidden patient needs is increasingly a marker of innovation and competitive differentiation.

Investing in Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) research doesn’t just enhance understanding – it transforms how healthcare systems operate, elevate care delivery, and create lasting emotional connections between patients and providers. By identifying what patients are really trying to achieve, JTBD opens doors to richer healthcare insights and tangible business outcomes.

Benefits for Healthcare Providers

For healthcare organizations, knowing what truly matters to patients can lead to smarter decision-making and better service design. Here’s how:

• Improved Patient Experience: Understanding patient jobs enables more personalized, empathetic interactions – from intake to follow-up.
• Greater Loyalty: When patients feel “seen” and supported in their broader goals, they’re more likely to return and recommend your services.
• Stronger Innovation Roadmaps: JTBD reveals unmet or under-addressed needs, guiding more relevant product, service, or digital health innovations.
• Operational Efficiency: Clarity on patient motivations helps teams prioritize investments where they’ll have the greatest impact.

Benefits for Patients

From the patient’s perspective, JTBD makes care more human. Instead of navigating fragmented systems, they experience care designed around their true needs – not just their conditions. This can lead to:

Less friction, better outcomes: When patients understand their path and feel motivated to engage, outcomes often improve. Whether that’s following through on treatment or taking preventive action sooner, JTBD-informed approaches boost results.

Emotional well-being: Healthcare isn’t just physical. Patients also want to feel reassured, informed, and respected. JTBD reveals these emotional goals, allowing providers to ease stress and build trust.

Inclusive healthcare design: Diverse populations often have different perceptions of the system. JTBD tools help uncover cultural and personal nuances – informing more equitable and inclusive care approaches.

The Competitive Edge for Healthcare Brands

With customer insights more critical than ever and consumer expectations rising, JTBD research offers a path toward deeper connection. In a market rapidly shaped by healthcare innovation and evolving needs, placing patient jobs at the center unlocks sustainable growth and stronger performance.

At SIVO Insights, we believe that powerful healthcare solutions start with understanding the person behind the patient. When we apply the Jobs to Be Done framework for healthcare providers, we go beyond surface-level feedback to uncover the true drivers behind patient decisions, needs, and frustrations.

Custom Research Built for Healthcare Complexity

Healthcare journeys are complex – and every brand, provider, or system brings different challenges. That’s why SIVO’s approach is never one-size-fits-all. We design and execute custom market research in healthcare that adapts JTBD methods to your specific strategic goals, whether you’re redesigning a service line, launching a digital platform, or trying to improve the patient journey.

Our process often blends qualitative and quantitative methods – rooted in conversation, observation, and behavior mapping – to reveal what patients need to accomplish and what’s standing in their way. We help answer questions like:

• What are patients trying to achieve emotionally and practically through their care experiences?
• What are the key pain points that prevent these jobs from being fulfilled?
• How do those needs vary across demographics and care stages?

Actionable, Human-Centered Insights

What makes SIVO unique is our ability to distill insights into clear, actionable narratives. We don’t just present data – we provide frameworks and stories that help healthcare teams make better decisions in real time. Whether you’re looking to improve patient experience, enhance communication, or inform your 2025 innovation roadmap, we uncover the “why” behind behavior and translate it into what to do next.

Our experts have deep experience across consumer insights and healthcare sectors, which means we know how to balance empathy with strategy. And thanks to our full range of services – from full-service research to flexible on-demand support – we can flex based on your needs, timeline, and internal resources.

Supporting Modern Healthcare Teams

As the healthcare landscape evolves at a rapid pace, especially with changing regulations, healthcare trends for 2025, and emerging tech, listening to patients with greater depth isn’t just nice to have – it's essential. SIVO partners with healthcare brands ready to lead with empathy, innovation, and data-driven decision-making.