Health Care research needs depth – and the courage to break new ground
Interview with Lena Rothe, Head of Health Care at advise
Désirée Konrad
|Health Care research needs depth – and the courage to break new ground
Interview with Lena Rothe, Head of Health Care at advise
For over ten years, advise has been supporting pharma and health care companies in better understanding their target audiences – with a clear focus on customer centricity and methods that deliver real impact, such as deep psychological interviews, social media deep dives, or AI-powered analyses. In this interview, Lena Rothe, Head of Health Care at advise, shares insights into her work and explains why she’s looking forward to speaking at Qual360 in Berlin on January 28–29.
Lena, you lead the Health Care Research division at advise. What makes this area so special to you?
Lena: Health is always a deeply personal topic – and that’s exactly what makes research in this field so exciting. It’s not just about products or services, but about quality of life, trust, and communication at eye level. In our projects, we often talk to HCPs like doctors, midwives, nurses, as well as to patients – and every conversation reveals: behind every decision is a person with individual experiences, concerns, and expectations. Our job is to make these perspectives visible and help our clients derive concrete actions from them.
advise has been keeping an eye on developments in health care research for quite some time, right?
Lena: Yes, our Health Care division is not new territory. We’ve been conducting research for over a decade in areas such as cardiology, dermatology, gynecology, and medical technology – using qualitative and quantitative methods tailored specifically to HCPs and patients. What sets us apart is the combination of depth and strategic thinking: we don’t just deliver data – we help our clients turn it into real impact. Whether it's developing informational materials, social media campaigns, or innovative digital services.
You just mentioned social media – a topic that’s become very important in health
communication. How does advise approach it?
Lena: We’ve been conducting social media research for years, and it’s clear that this also plays a huge role in health care. Patients are searching, discussing, and sharing experiences – and many HCPs are now contributing content themselves. It’s not just about reach, but about relevance and credibility. With tools like our Social DeepDive or the Content Impact Score, we analyze which content really resonates and where there’s room for improvement. Especially in pharma, this can be a fascinating but also sensitive area depending on the indication. It takes sensitivity – and high-quality data.
You’ll be giving a talk at Qual360 in March – what can attendees look forward to?
Lena: I’ll be taking the audience on a journey into the real world of patients and HCPs. I’ll show how patients' information behavior is evolving – and what that means for companies and HCPs alike. The presentation is based on real-life projects and insights from our research. The key question is: how can we use qualitative insights to truly strengthen customer centricity? I’m excited about the exchange with other thought leaders and the chance to share our perspective as a health care research partner.
👉 You can find the teaser for the talk here and register for the conference here.
Finally: What’s your wish for the future of health care research?
Lena: More courage for empathy. Too often, research focuses only on numbers and facts. But real impact happens when we understand what truly moves people – and that only works if we really listen. For that, we need the right methods, the right mindset – and partners like advise, who bring exactly that to the table.
Want to learn more about our Health Care research or discuss a project?
We’d love to hear from you – whether it’s qualitative in-depth interviews, social media analysis, or the development of patient-centered concepts: Together, we create insights that make a difference.