Can A Fridge Magnet Promote Better Health Behavior?

One challenge healthcare providers face is cutting through the clutter to deliver targeted messages. I’ve talked about dedicated healthcare devices, so I was intrigued by a fridge magnet from a restaurant in Dubai. Red Tomato provides this Bluetooth-enabled device that connects wirelessly with a customer’s smartphone and allows them to easily order a pizza.

Obviously this is great branding, positioning the company as cutting edge and convenient, while building awareness through this unique product. However, I’m more interested in the technology, specifically syncing this device to provide a service. I could see a few applications in healthcare:

- A direct application of this technology would be a device that, at the push of a button, can call a doctor or emergency vehicle – think Life Alert without working through their call center

- This type of device could also collect and display information, connecting with a website or app and transmitting medical information to promote optimal behavior. For example, after entering medication information into your computer, this device could alert you when you need to take your drugs or when to get a refill. Similarly, after entering the dates when you last visited the doctor, the device could alert you when to schedule a new appointment

- Following the fridge magnet approach, this device could be a dedicated food tracking device and barcode scanner. There are lots of smartphone apps that allow you to track calories, but making it convenient by keeping the device close to where you eat and more accurate by scanning barcodes could drive more adoption and interest

There are plenty of challenges. First, this would appeal to tech savvy consumers who aren’t the people who may need this information the most. Second, the device itself would be challenging to create – it would need to be easy to use, have a long battery life, be inexpensive to produce, and address privacy concerns. Finally, there’s the issue of who pays for this – consumers, healthcare providers, or another third-party? If someone is able to solve these issues, I believe this could be a game-changing device that makes healthcare as easy as ordering a pizza.