Customer experience has become a defining priority across industries, but in life sciences, the stakes are uniquely high. Patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers aren’t just “customers”—they’re navigating life-altering conditions, complex treatments, and deeply personal journeys. That makes experience not only a differentiator but also a determinant of health outcomes.
To unpack how life sciences organizations can make CX measurable, scalable, and truly impactful, we recently joined forces with McorpCX to host a webinar featuring Rocio Balcazar, Global Director, E2E Product Marketing at Insulet, Michael Hinshaw, Founder and President of McorpCX, and our very own Founder and CEO, Ania Rodriguez.
The panel explored common myths, practical strategies, and the role of technology in elevating patient and provider experiences. Here are the highlights and lessons from this insightful conversation.
The session opened with a frank discussion about misconceptions that often stall progress in life sciences CX:
Myth #1: Regulation makes CX impossible.
Rocio and Ania challenged this directly. Compliance frameworks do impose guardrails, but they don’t eliminate opportunities for empathy, transparency, or innovation. In fact, involving compliance teams early can help shape better patient experiences without risking noncompliance.
Myth #2: CX is “nice to have.”
Michael underscored that CX is not optional—it’s a critical driver of both clinical and business outcomes. Patient experiences directly influence adherence, prescription fills, and health results. When CX is operationalized and measured, it quickly rises to the top of the priority list.
Myth #3: CX can't be measured.
Perhaps the most damaging misconception is that experience is intangible. In reality, CX can be linked to quantifiable outcomes—from improved initiation rates to better patient retention. As Michael put it, “CX is deeply measurable and must be operationalized as an ongoing discipline.”
Rocio shared Insulet’s journey of reframing strategies around patients rather than products. For years, medical technology companies have understandably celebrated their innovations—but true progress happens when organizations design with patients, not just for them.
For example, Insulet carefully differentiates between the experiences of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. While both groups face a lifelong condition, their needs and contexts differ significantly:
Type 1 patients often receive a diagnosis early in life. They may become highly knowledgeable about their condition, but also face intense daily burdens.
Type 2 patients are typically diagnosed later, often managing lifestyle changes alongside comorbidities. They may be less familiar with diabetes technology and require different types of support.
Insulet also maps the broader ecosystem around patients, including caregivers, primary care physicians, peers, payers, and pharmacists. Each stakeholder plays a role in shaping the patient’s journey. By designing experiences that account for these influencers, Insulet helps remove friction, reduce stigma, and deliver more holistic support.
One of the biggest challenges in life sciences is overcoming organizational caution. Regulatory considerations, siloed teams, and legacy product-first mindsets can all stall progress.
The panelists agreed: the key is to start small. Identify one high-impact journey, such as patient onboarding or training, and demonstrate quick wins. Showing measurable improvement—whether in adherence, patient satisfaction, or reduced friction—builds credibility and secures leadership buy-in.
As Ania noted, “It’s about building a story that creates alignment and breaks silos. Quick wins help you prove the value of CX and move the organization forward.”
The conversation repeatedly returned to measurement as the linchpin of successful CX. Traditional metrics, such as Net Promoter Score (NPS), are a start, but they don’t capture the full picture.
Rocio described Insulet’s process of combining what matters to patients with what matters to the business. This dual framework allows them to track KPIs that reflect both empathy and outcomes. For example:
✔️ Patient-reported emotional impact
✔️ Adherence and device usage rates
✔️ HCP satisfaction and prescribing behavior
✔️ Business growth and retention metrics
By layering these perspectives, Insulet ensures that CX investments are precise, meaningful, and aligned with organizational priorities.
Tools like JourneyTrack play a critical role in making CX operational and measurable. Rocio shared several ways her team has benefited from the platform:
Visualizing end-to-end journeys: From diagnosis to daily management, JourneyTrack maps the full experience and highlights where Type 1 and Type 2 journeys diverge.
Creating persona-specific pathways: The tool goes beyond demographics to include behavioral and emotional dimensions, enabling richer and more accurate designs.
Breaking down silos: By providing a single source of truth, JourneyTrack fosters collaboration across marketing, clinical, regulatory, and support teams.
Telling the ROI story: With features like Journey Impact and Storytelling AI, the platform connects experience metrics to business KPIs, generating board-ready narratives.
As Rocio put it, “JourneyTrack has helped us break down silos by becoming a single source of truth. It gives marketing, clinical, and other cross-functional teams a collaborative interface to align strategies and track progress against shared goals.”
Life sciences organizations are increasingly acknowledging that CX is not just about patient satisfaction—it’s about outcomes, trust, and growth. While adoption is still in its early stages, the trend is accelerating as companies recognize the competitive and clinical benefits of patient-centric strategies.
Michael noted that experience capabilities are beginning to show up in annual reports—a sign that boards and C-suites are taking them seriously. International markets may even be ahead of the U.S. in embedding CX into healthcare delivery.
The panel concluded with advice for CX leaders:
Rocio: “Stop planning for patients. Start designing with them. Real impact comes when you co-create experiences.”
Ania: “Build a story that creates alignment and start with quick wins to prove value.”
Michael: “Bring the human perspective in and link it to data and business outcomes.”
Life sciences is one of the most complex and high-stakes industries for customer experience. Yet, as this webinar made clear, the challenges are not insurmountable. By reframing around patients, starting small, operationalizing measurement, and leveraging the right tools, organizations can deliver experiences that improve both lives and business results.
If you missed the live session or would like to explore the topic further, you can watch the full recording here.
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