While data and clinical research prove the effectiveness of medical devices, it’s often a single, heartfelt patient story that truly moves people to act. When a patient shares their journey, including their fears, setbacks, and triumphs, it reaches audiences in a way that statistics never could. These stories don’t just influence individual decisions; they have the power to shift perceptions, drive treatment adoption, and reignite purpose across entire organizations. For many in health care, they serve as a powerful reminder of why we do this work in the first place.
Why patient stories matter
Unlike consumer product testimonials that highlight convenience or style, patient stories address life-altering challenges. In my work, these stories capture moments of struggle from the devastating effects of severe COPD, when patients can barely walk to their mailbox, confidently take a shower, or just hang out with family and friends.
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In addition to physical symptoms, patients often feel a range of intense emotions, including isolation, anxiety and fear. The weight of these experiences – and the dramatic improvements that follow treatment – create an emotional impact no marketing team could script.
The impact can touch every stakeholder. The same video that moves one patient to seek treatment could inspire an interventional pulmonologist to offer a new procedure or a nurse practitioner to consider a patient for a new treatment, such as an endobronchial valve.
This audience-agnostic power makes customer stories uniquely valuable in an industry where multiple stakeholders – interventional pulmonologists, pulmonologists, primary care physicians, respiratory therapists, patients, families, and the media – influence treatment decisions. After viewing a patient video, one physician we work with recommended endobronchial valve treatment to his mother (it was successful).
These principles can work for you too. Here are five ways to find and tell great patient stories.
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- Let patients come to you. Where do you find patients to spotlight? The best patient advocates often find you before you find them. One of our patients created her own brochures with QR codes and hung posters in hospital hallways, sharing her story readily with anyone considering the procedure . These organic advocates are goldmines for authentic content because their passion stems from genuine gratitude rather than marketing incentives. Compelling stories also come through physicians who recognize exceptional outcomes, sales representatives who witness transformative moments, or through active patient communities on social media. Our favorite medium is cinema-quality video, which requires extensive preparation and a genuine connection with the patient. We spend three full days with each patient for filming, helping our team understand the patient’s complete journey — not just the medical procedure, but their life before diagnosis, their path to treatment, and their recovery experience.
- Every story is unique. Each patient’s journey is unique and involves particular challenges and triumphs. Some patients have searched for treatment options for years. Others receive referrals from proactive physicians. All have signature activities they are yearning to resume. Understanding these nuances helps shape authentic narratives that resonate with diverse patient experiences. The most credible testimonials acknowledge complications and setbacks. For example, it carries incredible weight when a patient says they would choose the procedure again despite serious side effects. Such honesty builds trust while meeting regulatory requirements for balanced messaging. Stories should acknowledge the range of potential outcomes whether modest or major improvement.
- Approach regulatory challenges thoughtfully. Medical device marketing operates within a highly regulated environment, where every message must disclose risks, adhere to FDA-cleared indications, and be backed by robust, verifiable data. While these requirements may seem limiting, they actually provide a framework for meaningful, responsible storytelling. Far from stifling creativity, these guardrails help ensure our narratives remain authentic, trustworthy, and worthy of the patients they represent. Disclaimers are often required in patient storytelling. Be thoughtful with them. Regulatory language fits more naturally in longer-form content than in 30-second television spots. Plan your content format around compliance requirements rather than trying to squeeze disclaimers into inappropriate spaces.
- Maximize reach. Patient stories perform exceptionally well across myriad marketing activities. They are ideal for email and social lead-generation efforts, often prompting hesitant patient candidates to complete eligibility assessments and opt into educational communications. Using patient stories in unexpected places like conferences and reception areas can be powerful for even for science-minded health care audiences. Interventional pulmonologists – who typically deliver cancer diagnoses – tell me they find genuine inspiration in procedures that improve quality of life rather than just extending survival. Patient perspectives can even transform an organization’s culture.
- Real voices foster authenticity. In an age of artificial intelligence and synthetic content, authentic patient experiences become more valuable than ever. No algorithm can replicate the raw reality of struggling to breathe or the profound joy of reclaiming everyday moments like being able to pick up a grandchild. By the same token, many patients with chronic conditions have limited life expectancies. It’s important to maintain respectful relationships and check in periodically to ensure continued comfort with using their stories .
Patient testimonials embody the profound mission that drives medical device innovation. When executed with authenticity, respect, and strategic thinking, these stories create connections that transform not just marketing metrics, but human lives. And that makes our work important and meaningful.
Photo: ViewApart, Getty Images
Marcee Maroney is vice president of marketing at Pulmonx, maker of the Zephyr Endobronchial Valve for treatment of severe emphysema and COPD.
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