What's the Haps with mHealth Apps?

Submitted by Editor (not verified)
on Tue, 05/07/2013 - 19:50
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Lately, we have been reading lots of market research reports for a client project.  One aspect stands out...the growth of mobile health (mHealth) applications is fairly breathtaking. These developments make health care across borders (small or large distance) easier.

Wearable, portable consumer versions of biometrics are surprisingly far along.  Here is a solid, but not conclusive survey of the existing, operational mobile health services.

  • The Fitbit Aria keeps tabs on weight and body mass index.  The company reports that its users take 43 percent more steps.
  • Track physical activity with Jawbone’s UP.
  • Track with a Scale, Blood Pressure Monitor and Activity Tracker from Withings.
  • Omegawave is a clinical-grade ECG monitor that tells you how strenuous of a workout he should undertake on any given day
  • The FDA approved iBGStar, a $100 (or less) blood glucose meter that attaches to iPhones or iPods for diabetes monitoring.
  • LifeScan's VerioSync glucometer is also FDA approved.  The device seamlessly sends blood sugar levels to an iPhone via Bluetooth (fewer steps mean fewer mistakes and less anxiety).
  • Ford Motor Co. introduced technology that allows drivers to gain information on conditions

Should Medical Tourism Use Minimum Viable Product Methodology?

Submitted by The Editors
on Wed, 12/12/2012 - 04:02
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When new entrants announce their plans, we’ve all thought, “They’re not ready”.  A press release or a minister announces the initiative…but progress rarely follows.  This leaves the industry with word pollution and another loose end to explain to new customers. 

Much of the industry noise is about destinations, which are fuzzy things to get our heads around in the absence of established destination brands.  Pushing comparisons back to the product level encourages us all to become more specific.  I’m for anything that puts focus back on consumers and the less fuzzy.  I hope I have borrowed a good idea that captures those priorities: Minimum Viable Product, (MVP).

Don’t confuse “minimum” with “minimal” in the name. In our terms, it would mean, “What are the minimum product, service, quality, price advantages, value-adds and experience features that would draw real numbers of cross-border health travelers.  There are no upper limits…it just establishes absolute minimums for coming to market.

What is MVP?

Minimum Viable Product, (MVP) started out as a way for technology start-ups to launch successful products more quickly.  Now tangible products are developed in MVP terms.

The Worst Practices in Medical Tourism Marketing III―Purple Prose

Submitted by The Editors
on Sat, 11/24/2012 - 04:16
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The great thing about the web is that even small companies can look big.  The bad thing about the web is that small companies are tempted to manipulate search results by appearing to be different than they actually are.

Today’s example of the worst practices in medical tourism marketing is using purple prose in a press release that is actually a rather bold advertisement.  Real press releases don't use promotional language, except in the "about us" section and even there, taste should rule.  Releases should never, ever use purple prose that makes me blush with embarassment for the word choices made, full stop.

"The Goodness Company’s clients…small practices and large dental clinics alike are routinely earning $2 Million to $6 Million every year in dental tourism revenues.  Succeeding in dental tourism is more than low rates and cheap vacations. Successful medical marketing communicates quality, confidence and security in the framework of a personal relationship.  The Goodness Company understands the dynamics of successful dental tourism marketing.  Discover how The Goodness Company transforms dental practices into global leaders in dental tourism."

Releases like this make me

The Worst Practices in Medical Tourism Marketing II―Hyperbole

Submitted by The Editors
on Thu, 11/22/2012 - 03:38
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We’re fed up.  Medical tourism hyperbole often rises to the level of fibbing.    Here’s an example of advertising that gets just about everything wrong (no obvious strategy, bad marketing & misconstruction).

In October, Newsweek included a special advertising section on health.  The Goodness Company, a Costa Rican design firm that is closely associated with the Medical Tourism Association, buys a gang-page advertisement in a one-time, Newsweek advertising showcase.  The Goodness Company breaks the page into smaller parts, and then resells the component parts to small advertisers at a higher price.  The effort probably generates ad design fees too.  So, its a win / win, right?  Nope.  It is a win for The Goodness Company, but a loss for their advertising clients and also for the medical tourism industry.

Advertorial paid placement is not editorial press coverage.  This is confusing because often, it gives the appearance of being editorial coverage.  It is advertising, and in the U.S., it has to say so at the top of every page.  Nothing wrong with that, but potential advertisers should not fall for blurred-line hints and hyperbolic promises. 

Advertorial works for individual

The Worst Practices in Medical Tourism Marketing I—Lack of Planning

Submitted by The Editors
on Thu, 11/22/2012 - 03:19
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Advertising, promotion and PR are great.  These pay some of bills around here…so bless advertisers.  But, if the advertiser gets bad advice about how to promote their business…it is more than wasted money and sunk cost…it hurts all of us by adding to the general confusion around health travel.  

Confusion suppresses customers (explained by a Pareto Curve market distribution).   That’s right.  Bad advertising does the opposite of what advertisers want.

Until you can answer these questions, don’t come to market with advertising, promotion, PR or website content.

 

  1. What is your unique value proposition?

  2. What is your comparative advantage?

  3. How can you translate the research you’re relying on into something actionable in your case? (Not having research is a great way to waste money on advertising.)

  4. What metrics and goals will you use to decide whether your spend is successful or not? (Not setting up metrics is a great way to remain vulnerable to sales pitches.)

  5. Should you advertise and promote locally, nationally or internationally?

  6. Is print or web the best way to reach your customer? (Web can be much more targeted than print.)

  7. What are the readership or viewership demographics of the

Health Travel Advisors Need Operations Expertise

Submitted by The Editors
on Mon, 11/19/2012 - 05:41
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Michael Porter’s original management consulting firm is calling it quits.  This week’s Economist.com reports the demise of Monitor, an admired pioneer in business transformation.  So how could a firm with a good name and great, scholarly reputation (that came out of Dr. Porter’s direct involvement), fail? 

Monitor didn’t include operations practice, and the modern world doesn’t need pure strategy anymore―it needs strategy translated into operations.  The message seems to be that thinking is great, but doing wins the day.

This story has value to health travel because anyone who offers to help your business with pure marketing, pure strategy, pure technology or cluster-formation-only should give you pause.  All of these are vital, but translation into operations is where the good stuff is.

A Simple Test: Letter from Renee Marie Stephano-5th World Medical Tourism Congress (Updated)

Submitted by scottfrankum
on Fri, 11/16/2012 - 00:18
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Updated Saturday, November 17

The Medical Tourism Association Fails the Transparency Test!  No surprise.

No response to my request for answers by the deadline so I think we can fairly say the MTA's claims of transparency and responsiveness are just not true. 

The heat is turning up on Linked-In industry blogs, too.  There is at least a baseball team's worth of industry members who are questioning public MTA posts.  This is new.

Sources tell me that the MTA silences critics with cease and desist letters, so this level of confrontation is unusual because it could create personal risk.  The "baseball" team is asking for real information....real answers.  With all the hubbub, I won't be surprised to see mainstream press pick up the topic soon.  Think about lively international incidents and fun potential headlines, like "Our Governments paid how much for what?". 

Picture this...the industry Titan who was removed by security from the Medical Tourism Congress...on the same speaking panel in Portugal, with the person who made the decision to remove him.  Awkward!

_________________

Today I got a marketing oriented email from the Medical Tourism Association.

Medical Tourism and "The Tragedy of The Commons"

Submitted by scottfrankum
on Wed, 11/14/2012 - 22:44
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First, thank you all for your notes of support calling for a new medical tourism trade association.  Your kindness is heartenting.

I was reading a health reform memo that mentioned an economic concept called The Tragedy of the Commons or The Law of the Commons and realized the concept applied to why the industry should move away from the Medical Tourism Association model.  

A great way to organize health travel trade associations is regionally with an international "council of councils".  The "law" is also a simple way to understand why most medical travel marketing sucks.

The Law of the Commons states: "Each household has the right to take resources from and put wastes into the commons. To accumulate wealth, each household believes that it can acquire one unit of resources or dump one unit of waste while distributing one unit of cost across all of the households with whom the commons is shared. Thereby, the gain to the household appears large and the cost very small. Some households accumulate wealth more rapidly than others and this, in turn, gives them the means to access an even larger share of the commons.

The fallacy in the logic of the commons lies in the failure to

It is Time For a New Medical Tourism Trade Association

Submitted by The Editors
on Thu, 11/08/2012 - 21:07
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Updated: Tuesday November 12th.

Controversey continues!  The inspirational Linked-in discussion forum was deleted by either the forum owner or by Prem Jagyasi.  The Well List and the IMTJ have made inquiries about the take-down but there are no responses, yet. 

Sure, there was some energetic piling-on...but no one was out-of-line.  If you can't take the heat then don't engage in fluffy self-promotion.  This is not over and we'll see an internal industry push for new solutions soon.  When we can tell you about the well-regarded and fantastic industry Titan who was invited to the MTA convention, but then physically removed by security...for no good reason...we will.

The stories keep coming.  Several sources told us that attendance was down and that major sponsors won't be back for fear of being tarnished by the halo of ill-will. 

Imagine this scene....many of the industry leaders I respect are now forbidden from coming into the Medical Tourism Association Convention.  (BTW, how dumb is that?).  At least three industry bold-face-names held their meetings in the host hotel's lobby where everybody could see how the MTA's bad decisions hurt industry progress.

Mexican Border Care and the Affordable Care Act: Planning a Response in Juarez, Reynosa, Matamoros, Tijuana and Beyond

Submitted by The Editors
on Fri, 10/19/2012 - 18:51
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I re-read relative parts of the Affordable Care Act and want to share that I have confirmed two significant risks & opportunities for Mexican border states, that occur January 1st, 2014. 

The two current risks are patient volumes and insurance reimbursement levels.  Long-term transformation is a long-term issue for Mexican Border States, but volume and reimbursement risks kick-in fourteen months from now.

Dental & Vision Care

In 2014, all documented Americans will become insured through a variety of private, premium support or Medicare-style coverage.  Many states will include dental and vision care as an “Essential Health Benefit”.  Each state gets to decide what its Essential Health Benefits are (within some guidelines).

In 2014 children will have dental and vision insurance and care in all states.  Adults are the open question.  This may have significant effects on your patient volumes.

California is deciding right now whether to include dental and vision care as an Essential Health Benefit for adults.  If you draw patients from California, it is a good idea to plan for this change now. 

Within a few weeks of our presidential election, each state will have to declare

New Health Tourism Destinations Should Start With Strategy

Submitted by scottfrankum
on Sat, 08/25/2012 - 02:04
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I always touch on strategy when I speak at industry events, but I think it is time to put this particular discussion out front.  Some of us are giving bad, wrong or incomplete advice about how to develop new health travel destinations and products.  If you are doing it wrong, you give the whole industry a black eye and suppress the number of patients who would otherwise explore the great options we offer.  Please stop.  You’re doing harm unless you learn formal strategy.

This is an imagined case study with a management consulting view of how to do it right, and I mean for everyone.  The process applies to large and small, medical and spa, east and west.  Tactics and execution differs-, but the strategy process is universal.

Comparative Advantage

You build health travel by first identifying a comparative advantage, which is an economic principle that in simplest terms means doing something better than a competitor does it.   That “something” is your comparative advantage.

After you identify a comparative advantage, the challenge is to turn comparative advantage into sustainable competitive advantage--amid the complexity of three, intersecting value chains--tourism, distance

Health Tourism Clusters: The High Cost of Bad Advice

Submitted by The Editors
on Sun, 08/12/2012 - 22:19
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Recently, we have seen marketing proposals for countries, regions, groups and firms to form health tourism clusters. It is obvious to us that the hired advisors misunderstand what clusters are and how they work. Consequently, many in the industry discount, reject or flat-out blame Michael Porter’s cluster research, which is a solidly reliable and internationally vetted body of strategy and development theory. This misunderstanding creates a waterfall of negative effects.

Countries waste their own resources, plus those of others. Clients feel deceived. Customers are suppressed (see Pareto Curve effects). The concept of clusters gets an undeserved black eye. We’re all confused because what should be positive activity sets back success…possibly for years.

Here’s the thing―we’re wrongly blaming the research when we should isolate the blame to bad practitioners.

Success Markers for Health Travel and Medical Tourism Clusters

Submitted by The Editors
on Fri, 08/10/2012 - 10:39
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We’re struck by how so many hopeful aspects of medicine are fragile. The value innovation of Shouldice Hospital’s High-Volume Focus Medicine Hernia Surgeries was luck. There are questions about reproducing Narayana Hrudayalaya’s value innovated heart surgeries in the Cayman Islands because the value innovation has been produced in the NH management environment, but has not proven to be portable to other institutions.

Even clusters aren’t a sure thing―Michael Porter writes, “The co-location of companies, suppliers and institutions creates the potential for economic value; it does not necessarily ensure its realization". Cluster development, especially in emerging markets, seems especially fraught. What about sectarian differences? Is there graft? Are rivalries more entrenched than the desire for productivity and growth? So, how do you know if you’re doing it right?

Cluster Theory in International Development and Health Tourism

Submitted by The Editors
on Fri, 08/10/2012 - 09:17
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The notion of clusters, which are geographic concentrations of interconnected companies and institutions with unusual competitive success, have become part of international development practice and theory.

Recently, we re-read parts of the European Commission’s development plan called, Europe 2020 and its predecessor The Lisbon Strategy. Both are notable for the use of principles from cluster research to bolster national strengths and to create the conditions for prosperity in countries which surround the European Union.

Concurrently, there is a flurry of countries with low development and sparse infrastructure to proclaim an interest in building medical or wellness tourism clusters. This is not surprising. Nor, is it always possible.

Are There Any Real Medical, Health and Wellness Tourism Clusters?

Submitted by The Editors
on Thu, 08/09/2012 - 18:56
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Medical, Health and Wellness Tourism Clusters are about developing a higher plane of competition that produces innovation, productivity and linkages-in service of each firm’s competitive advantage. Bad advice on cluster development diminishes us all and leads to the Pareto Curve suppression of customers.

If we don’t acknowledge the actual research, it seems less likely that we as an industry, will commit the necessary sustained effort and resources it takes to support the necessary linkages and training to reach innovation, productivity, new businesses, comparative advantage, competitive advantage and full potential.

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