The use of intelligent, networked medical products and mobile health tools (like your cell phone) can transform chronic disease management by providing continuous monitoring and adjustment of therapies. People over the age of 55 could be the largest beneficiaries of these tools. But some commentators have proposed that there will be limited adoption of intelligent medicine products by older and elderly consumers. Are these commentators correct?
An article in today’s USA Today suggests not (“Older Folks Like Wii, PCs and Cellphones Too”). The writer references a Forrester Research report showing that Americans 55 to 64 are more active in online finance, shopping and entertainment than those under 55. He also notes that almost half of all people over 70 expect to purchase consumer electronics over the next 12 months.
This is not at all surprising. It is hard for us all (and often it seems hardest for media and marketing professionals) to avoid stereotypes and assumptions about different demographics. Young/old, rural/urban, rich/poor, black/white, educated/uneducated, healthy/sick…many of the pre-conceived notions we have about what different groups want or will use as consumers are as solid as fog. Most consumers universally want two primary things, and will find their way to adopting a great diversity of potential products and services if they can get them. First, we want value that will satisfy a distinct and deep need. For older consumers, new technology-based products can provide the social connection and peace of mind they increasingly need as the years roll on. Second, we want good product design and for the things we use to work well, easily and seamlessly. If technology-based products have had challenges in certain demographics in the past, it is likely because they are badly designed products—not just for older people, for example, but for all of us. As consumer technology has become truly about the consumer, these barriers have melted away. Think about Apple and Google’s products. Elegant, simple, useful…and broadly adopted across all demographics.
So will older consumers use mobile phones to manage their health and connect to their caregivers? Will they be comfortable with a tiny therapeutic computer under their skin? Will they wire their homes to have activity and wellness monitors that help keep them healthy and young? Of course they will. They will when technology developers design meaningful and good products and put the consumer first. The USA Today article reviews a range of companies working on health-based technology for seniors, including HP, Microsoft, Google, EmWave and Proteus.
