Quirks Awards Finalist Patient Journey Mapping and Research for WS Audiology

Patients were delaying getting hearing aids — a small delay with huge consequences for quality of life, work, family and mental health.

WS Audiology, a global hearing-health company, observed this urgent problem and tasked Yogesh Chavda, Head of US Market Insights, to find out why. The trigger for the research was a clear, practical question: what in the patient journey causes people to put off hearing help, and how can those delays be reduced?

Empathizing with patients facing stigma, uncertainty and real-life impacts, WS Audiology engaged Gold Research to map the experience end-to-end and to surface actionable barriers.

The work focused on two concrete deliverables:

1. Uncover the distinct journey stages patients follow from first signs of hearing loss to seeking help, and
2. Identify the pain points at each stage that cause delays.

The core challenge: identify the specific touchpoints and frictions in the patient journey that, if addressed, could materially shorten time to care for millions.

Unique differentiator: We intentionally included family members in research — an innovative step that surfaced previously unknown influences on patient decision making.

Process:

1. First we performed a journey-insights extraction from HearUSA’s existing research and operational Voice of the Customer (VOC) metrics to establish a baseline understanding.
2. Then we designed a two-phase, robust qualitative approach to address discovered gaps.
3. Next we executed the plan: conducted in-depth interviews with internal stakeholders, then intercepted and engaged patients across journey stages using in-depth interviews and focus groups, explicitly including family members to capture caregiver perspectives.

Proprietary methods & methodologies used:

1. Journey-insights extraction from existing VOC data (qualitative analysis, customer journey context).
2. Two-phase qualitative research design (stakeholder interviews, patient intercepts, focus groups)

Timeline: Completed within 60 days.

Methodologies: VOC analysis, qualitative interviews, focus groups, journey mapping and stakeholder engagement.

Reached millions of US patients and uncovered a key behavioral insight: consumers wait an average of 7 years from first noticing hearing loss to seeking help.

1. Millions of patients reached — research informed care and communications at scale.
2. 7-year average delay identified — a clear target for intervention and messaging.
3. Clear patient-journey roadmap — video interviews and journey maps pinpointed pain points and remedial actions.

Business Impact:

These insights reshaped marketing & operations across WS Audiology enabling more effective patient flows and faster conversion from awareness to booking.

Client Testimonial:

"Thanks to Gold Research, we learnt how to overcome stigma, the key barrier for why consumers typically postpone their hearing aids purchase. Net, this research is not only foundational to what we do in marketing; it’s also helped us organize dramatically in how we operate as a business." - Yogesh Chavda, Head of US Market Insights, WS Audiology.

1. How quickly were results delivered? 90 days.
2. What was the ROI? Uncovered millions in recoverable revenue leakages .
3. Was the method scalable or replicable? Yes, findings were applied across multiple business units to reorganize lead generation and operations.