Patient Reward Systems
What would motivate you to take the extra step towards your health?
Taking a medication, showing up to an appointment, or even starting a home based exercise program are all easier said than done. Just because you intend to do something that you know is good for you, doesn’t mean that it will always get done. You may set your alarm early to get up and workout, but what is going to keep you from hitting snooze and going back to bed? The present positive feelings of indulging in a cookie are much stronger than the potential positive future feelings from lifestyle changes. Instant gratification is much more satisfying compared to the intangible benefits of your chronic medication therapy, so how do you motivate someone to stay on track?
The most common motivator that is being implemented by digital health companies is money! I know when I make a change or do something for others, I feel even more motivated to give my best efforts knowing I will get something in return. Our world revolves around money, and this is easily one of the best rewards someone could give. How are companies doing this? Some are rewarding adherence by:
- Giving money and then reducing the amount when there are gaps in consistency (ex: Wellth).
- Decreasing the patient’s out of pocket medication costs when they go to the pharmacy (ex: Sempre Health).
- Giving credit or points towards retail shopping companies the patient likes (ex: Mango Health).
A well known strategy when implementing these reward systems is loss aversion. Some people prefer to simply avoid losing what they already have rather than gaining something that they don’t have yet. These behaviors should be addressed when focusing on increasing adherence outcomes in patients and clients. Companies also look into choice architecture to better understand why patients choose the things they do. Sometimes having many options can be a bad thing, and result in the patient making no decisions at all. Analyzing patient behavior and finding solutions to these gaps will allow better accessibility to patients that need that extra nudge in healthy lifestyle choices.
We are only human, so mistakes are bound to be made. Taking your daily medication and staying dedicated to your lifestyle changes are not easy tasks. Understanding the value and benefit from these longterm goals is essential, but having another, more immediate form of gratification (ie. money, food, etc) is shown to work well too. Ultimately, bridging the gap between intent and behavior is what will help motivate people to live healthier lifestyles.
Take care,
-Marissa
