SimplePractice regularly conducts research to better understand the needs of our customers and their practices. In this guide, we’ll answer frequently asked questions about our research process, including:

• Why does SimplePractice conduct research?
• What is SimplePractice researching?
• How does SimplePractice conduct research?
• Who qualifies to participate in a research study?
• How is the data from the study used and analyzed?
• When will I receive my incentive?
• If I’m asked about a feature or a concept in a survey, does that mean it will happen?

Why does SimplePractice conduct research?

We periodically reach out to our customers and ask them to participate in surveys or interviews with our team to better understand what they need and what matters to them. In understanding these important things, we’re better equipped to make improvements, develop new features, products, and services, or develop marketing materials that could resonate with our current and future customers. 

What is SimplePractice researching?

Our research is on a variety of topics, including but not limited to:

• Services and offerings
• Possible new features or feature enhancements
• Subscription plans and pricing
• The challenges of being a practitioner or running a private practice
• Customer perceptions of the SimplePractice brand

How does SimplePractice conduct research?

To gather as much diverse feedback as possible, we send invitations asking for a different group of customers to complete a survey or schedule a conversation with one of our team members on a specific topic. At the end of the survey or interview, you may be asked if you’d like to participate in future studies.

Note: Sometimes we work with external consultants, so the invitation may come from a non-SimplePractice email. In that case, the consultant will always introduce themselves as a consultant conducting research on behalf of SimplePractice.

Who qualifies to participate in a research study?

We invite a unique sample of customers to participate in a survey for a study. While we typically aim for 200 to 400 responses, we invite more customers than we need as only a fraction will typically choose to participate. We don’t reach out to customers who have received a research invitation in the last 30 days, or to those who have opted out of marketing communications. 

Once we receive the target number of responses, we’ll close the survey to additional participants. While we try to keep the survey open for 1 to 2 days, we occasionally reach the target at a faster rate than expected.

During a survey or call, you may be asked to answer questions about your practice to check whether you qualify for participation. If you don’t qualify, you’ll be informed rather than proceed with the remainder of the survey.

Note: When we research on a more specific topic like a group practice feature or certain subscription tiers, we can only accept participants who can provide relevant input based on their practice type or product usage.

How is the data from the study used and analyzed?

We only collect your name and email address to provide you with your incentive after you’ve completed a research study. We always analyze the data in aggregate, so a customer’s individual responses are kept anonymous — except in cases where the customer has explicitly consented to their name being used.

Your personal information or individual survey responses will never be shared with third parties. Only specific employees of SimplePractice (e.g., Executive, Product, Marketing, Customer Success) will have access to the data to inform company strategies and decision making.  

When will I receive my incentive?

We value the time you take to participate in our research, and we’ll often send customers an incentive- typically a gift card - as a token of our appreciation. We send incentives within 2 weeks of you completing the survey or interview. In order to receive the incentive, participants must qualify for and complete the entire survey or interview.

If I’m asked about a feature or a concept in a survey, does that mean it will happen?

Topics and concepts that appear in a survey or interview are not necessarily a reflection of our future plans. We routinely test different concepts for research purposes, and they may not end up being a part of SimplePractice. Depending on the study a customer is participating in, they may see different concepts than another survey participant. 

When changes like new products, feature releases, or subscription price changes become part of our roadmap, we’ll be sure to let our customers know in advance. 

Important: What’s contained in a survey or discussed in an interview is considered SimplePractice's confidential information. You may be exposed to potential features or information that is not and may never become available to the public. By participating, we ask that you keep this survey and all of the information contained within it confidential, and agree to not share the information with anyone - including but not limited to other SimplePractice users.