From Law to Listening: Barry Liden on Data and Patient Voices

What happens when you bring law, data, and patient stories together?

In this episode of Amplify, Ursula and Brent sit down with their teammate Barry Liden to explore his unconventional journey—from law school and computer programming to leading work in patient engagement.

Barry shares how his early passion for data and advocacy reshaped into a mission: ensuring that patient perspectives are not an afterthought, but rather a driving force in decision-making across healthcare systems.

💡 You’ll learn:

• Why patient voices are critical in health technology assessments
• How a study Barry published helped shift a Canadian HTA decision
• The impact of patient listening sessions on engineers, innovators, and product design
• Why diversity of perspectives matters beyond just the “N of one”

📌 Quote from the episode:

“Sometimes you ask people what’s important, and they’ll give you the expected answers. But then someone comes in with a different perspective, and it changes everything.” — Barry Liden

Episode Highlights 

• [00:00] Welcome to Amplify — Ursula & Brent introduce the episode and guest, Barry Liden
• [01:00] Barry’s journey from law school and computer programming to patient engagement
• [03:00] Why patient perspectives often get overlooked in traditional decision-making
• [05:00] How Barry’s published study helped Ontario incorporate patient preferences in HTA decisions
• [07:00] Global examples: how Canada and Australia are evolving their use of patient preference data
• [09:00] A powerful patient listening session that shifted engineers’ perspectives on product design
• [12:00] The rise of patient preference studies worldwide and why diversity of perspectives matters
• [14:00] How unexpected patient insights can redefine outcomes in healthcare
• [15:00] What excites Barry about joining Amplify and Patient Voice Partners as a co-host
• [17:00] Closing reflections and call to action

🎧 Listen now and discover how listening deeply—to data, to patients, to unexpected voices—can transform healthcare.