Medical Ethnography
The AMS Difference
Applied Marketing Science (AMS) has conducted ethnographies in clinical and at-home settings for over two decades. We have observed physicians perform procedures, technicians turn over machines, and patients self-administer medications.
Our work has informed design decisions for existing platforms and has helped uncover opportunities to meet unknown needs with new devices.
- We focus on observation to understand the steps involved and the detailed, underlying needs that drive both the design of new products and the creation of distinctive patient and clinician experiences.
- We use a combination of observation and interviewing to uncover hidden needs while also exploring stated, known needs.
- We deploy mobile ethnography for convenience and discretion, especially for spontaneous cases (e.g., getting a headache), sensitive subjects, or for immune- or mobility-compromised patients.
- We are well-versed in the tactical details of regulatory and compliance rules for clinician and patient participation in observational research.
The End Result
Our observational analysis draws from a wide range of artifacts—photos, online diary entries, mobile video, interview transcripts—to create a compelling narrative of the clinician or patient experience. Using interactive tools, we weave photos, videos, and verbatims into digital storyboards that bring customers to life for your company. In addition, we back up our story with an exhaustive and comprehensive catalog of functional and emotional needs, highly detailed to support tactical design decisions.


The AMS Difference
Applied Marketing Science (AMS) has conducted ethnographies in clinical and at-home settings for over two decades. We have observed physicians perform procedures, technicians turn over machines, and patients self-administer medications.
Our work has informed design decisions for existing platforms and has helped uncover opportunities to meet unknown needs with new devices.
- We focus on observation to understand the steps involved and the detailed, underlying needs that drive both the design of new products and the creation of distinctive patient and clinician experiences.
- We use a combination of observation and interviewing to uncover hidden needs while also exploring stated, known needs.
- We deploy mobile ethnography for convenience and discretion, especially for spontaneous cases (e.g., getting a headache), sensitive subjects, or for immune- or mobility-compromised patients.
- We are well-versed in the tactical details of regulatory and compliance rules for clinician and patient participation in observational research.
The End Result
Our observational analysis draws from a wide range of artifacts—photos, online diary entries, mobile video, interview transcripts—to create a compelling narrative of the clinician or patient experience. Using interactive tools, we weave photos, videos, and verbatims into digital storyboards that bring customers to life for your company. In addition, we back up our story with an exhaustive and comprehensive catalog of functional and emotional needs, highly detailed to support tactical design decisions.
Use ethnography to understand the context of care.
Our Clients
We work with some of the biggest names in the medical products and healthcare industries




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