How patient feedback is shaping Ember Health in 2026

January marks a meaningful milestone for Ember Health. This year, we enter our seventh year of caring for people seeking relief from depression through IV ketamine therapy. Like many organizations at the start of a new year, we are taking time to reflect on what matters most and how we want to show up in the year ahead.

At the core of Ember’s work is a commitment to truly patient centered care. For us, that means listening closely to the people we serve and translating what we hear into the care model we continue to build and refine. Patient feedback is not a formality at Ember. It is a foundational input into how we think about experience, clinical care, education, and access.

Throughout 2025, we heard from hundreds of patients through our ongoing feedback survey, which is sent after the initial course of treatment and at regular intervals throughout care. As the Chief Experience Officer and Co-Founder of Ember Health, I personally review every response carefully, with attention to both what is working well and where there is room to improve. I also invite patients to feedback calls, and had the privilege of speaking to dozens of individuals last year who helped us to better understand individual experiences and perspectives. We are deeply grateful for the time, honesty, and trust that patients continue to share with us.

We were especially moved by the consistent appreciation expressed for our clinicians and care teams, whose compassion and dedication shape the Ember experience every day. We were equally grateful for the thoughtful and constructive ideas patients shared about how we can continue to serve them better. We believe that when it comes to delivering the gold standard of IV ketamine care for depression, no detail is too small to consider.

Four themes emerged most clearly from patient feedback in 2025.

Experience

Patients shared insights into how the care environment can feel even more supportive and comfortable, from simple elements like blankets and music to remembering individual preferences across visits. Many also highlighted the strong relationships they form with clinicians and emphasized the importance of continuity and consistency of care over time.

Education

There was a strong desire for deeper understanding of the science behind ketamine treatment. Patients expressed interest in learning more about dosing, factors that influence duration of benefit, and why treatment can affect people differently. We also heard a clear call for more guidance on the role of therapy, how Ember collaborates with broader care teams, and why a team based approach matters.

Access

Cost remains one of the most significant barriers to care. Patients shared a desire for expanded insurance coverage, clearer visibility into affordability options, and continued advocacy for broader access. We also heard interest in expanded appointment hours to better accommodate different schedules and life demands.

Community

Many patients expressed a desire to feel more connected to the broader Ember community. This includes learning from the experiences of others, opportunities for peer connection, and ways to reduce stigma and expand access together.

This feedback is already shaping how we think about the year ahead. One of our intentions for 2026 is to communicate more clearly and more consistently about how these priorities inform our decisions and what we are doing in response. In the coming months, we plan to share periodic updates and resources related to these themes, offering greater transparency into our thinking and our progress.

We remain deeply grateful to the patients who continue to help guide this work. Listening, learning, and evolving alongside the people we serve is not just part of our process. It is central to who we are.