Listening to Understand Obesity
Project: Obesity Epidemic 360
Client: Non-profit Health Organization
Location: USA
Scope: Patient, Caregiver, Provider Insights
VMHQ partnered with AHA Technologies to support a national health nonprofit in exploring the obesity epidemic. We began with asynchronous research among HCPs and people living with obesity, followed by live interviews with patients, family members, and HCPs using AHA’s HIPAA-compliant platform. This 360° view revealed not only clinical challenges but also the motivations, frustrations, and hopes of those affected. A key insight emerged: meaningful change begins in the exam room, where sensitive, stigma-free conversations help providers build trust and improve outcomes.
Destigmatizing Mental Illness
Project: Well Beings Initiative
Client: PBS/WETA
Location: USA
Scope: Community Listening, Program Evaluation
VMHQ collaborated with WETA on its Well Beings initiative, a nationwide effort to address urgent health needs through broadcast, digital storytelling, and community campaigns. As part of the Youth Mental Health Project, we surveyed local public media organizers and audience members, and conducted in-depth interviews with parents, educators, and community members. The research revealed a central truth: stigma compounds suffering, while connection fosters healing. These authentic stories guided WETA in strengthening the reach and impact of future Well Beings events.
Improving Healthcare in Smaller Markets
Project: Regional Hospital System Rebrand
Client: Core Creative
Location: Ohio, Kentucky, Illinois
Scope: Patient Experience, Brand Identity
VMHQ partnered with Core Health on multiple studies exploring patient experiences in regional hospital systems. Through virtual interviews and focus groups with patients and community members, we uncovered both strengths and gaps in care. These insights gave Core Health a foundation for brand strategies rooted in lived experience, and helped hospital systems refine their brand story and reshape delivery—making care more responsive, compassionate, and aligned with local needs.
Breaking Through Complacency & Isolation
Project: OAB Barriers to Treatment
Client: Pharmaceutical
Location: USA
Scope: Patient/Provider Insights, Messaging
For more than a decade, VMHQ partnered with a leading pharmaceutical company to better understand the experiences of women living with overactive bladder (OAB). Many described isolation and shame, often delaying conversations with their doctors. Through multiple projects using asynchronous methods, interviews, and focus groups, we uncovered new ways for the brand and HCPs to open dialogue, reduce stigma, and empower women to seek care. This work informed an award-winning campaign by FCB Health that helped the treatment achieve category dominance.
Guiding New Product Development
VMHQ partnered with a healthcare technology startup to assess a platform designed to connect providers and patients in orthopedics. Through online one-on-one interviews with orthopedists, physical therapists, and patients, we explored how a centralized communication portal could reshape care management, exercise assignment, and provider–patient communication. The research highlighted the platform’s core strengths, identified barriers to adoption, and revealed features that could differentiate it in a crowded digital health field.
Project: Health Management Platform
Client: Technology
Location: USA
Scope: Patient/Provider Insights, Usability
