{"id":1065,"date":"2014-01-16T09:39:02","date_gmt":"2014-01-16T15:39:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sanfordrose.wpengine.com\/kempfgroup\/?p=1065"},"modified":"2014-01-16T09:39:02","modified_gmt":"2014-01-16T15:39:02","slug":"winning-through-both-mass-markets-niches-featuring-roz-ben-chitrit-president-of-sanford-rose-associates-southern-connecticut","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sanfordrose.com\/kempfgroup\/winning-through-both-mass-markets-niches-featuring-roz-ben-chitrit-president-of-sanford-rose-associates-southern-connecticut\/","title":{"rendered":"Winning Through Both Mass Markets & Niches Featuring Roz Ben-Chitrit, President of Sanford Rose Associates – Southern Connecticut"},"content":{"rendered":"

BY: ROZ BEN-CHITRIT
\nPublished Tuesday, January 14, 2014<\/p>\n

It\u2019s only been a month since the mHealth Summit in Washington DC, and the Digital Health Summit (part of the world famous Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas) is upon us.<\/p>\n

As you keep track of the big news coming out of the Digital Health Summit, it will be useful to compare it to some of the important takeaways emerging from the mHealth Summit.<\/p>\n

To that end, our regular contributor, Roz Ben-Chitrit of Sanford Rose Associates shares a few of the themes and insights she got out of the mHealth Summit.<\/p>\n

\n

Her commentary will help you to not only compare and contrast with the \u201chot\u201d ideas coming out of the Digital Health Summit, but also to look at how any one solution can carve out a niche for itself in this increasingly crowded marketplace.<\/p>\n

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The December 2013 mHealth Summit was full of inspiring speakers, innovative products in the exhibit hall, and a lot of passionate industry leaders.<\/p>\n

The weather for the key arrival times in Washington, DC was horrible, so many people didn\u2019t make it \u2026 from keynoters to people who are the \u201cgreenest\u201d in the industry. And that was a shame.<\/p>\n

But those of us lucky enough to have arrived at the Summit were treated to a well-done conference. Hearing Steve Case (founder of America OnLine and Revolution Health) talk about the process of hype to hope to happiness in moving the industry ahead sticks in my mind.<\/p>\n

Even before the conference, I believed we were getting to that tipping point between hope and happiness, and I still think that in some areas we really are.<\/p>\n

Much of that happiness is driven by legislative advances, economic incentives and technological breakthroughs.<\/p>\n

But there are areas where getting to happiness is still a ways off.<\/p>\n

And of course, that\u2019s where people are finding opportunity to add unique value through mHealth.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s hot in mHealth? <\/strong><\/p>\n

Listening to the speakers and walking around the exhibit hall floor, there was a clear distinction between a few areas.<\/p>\n

On the one hand, there are the \u201cengagement\u201d products and discussions that are critically important. Consumers and providers need to be involved with products if they\u2019re going to have any efficacy.<\/p>\n

Of course.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, some of the most interesting solutions focus on specific problems for small and specific populations.<\/p>\n

For example \u2026 Adolescents with depression?<\/p>\n

There\u2019s an app for that (it\u2019s a game).<\/p>\n

It doesn\u2019t require an office visit, engages teens \u201cwhere they are\u201d and has been shown to improve their disease.<\/p>\n

Hmmmm\u2026 A product that improves health, saves time and money, improves access AND is engaging.<\/p>\n

Sounds like a winner.<\/p>\n

My Professional Passion <\/strong><\/p>\n

For years, I\u2019ve been obsessed by the impact of medication non-compliance on our health system.<\/p>\n

As a former product marketer, I worked to develop a medication compliance solution.<\/p>\n

And as an adjunct professor, I even encouraged my students to contemplate and solve the problem.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m convinced that we can improve health and save cost if people take their medicines as directed.<\/p>\n

Throughout the conference, I was excited to see and hear about offerings in the medication reminder segment.<\/p>\n

I saw devices.<\/p>\n

I saw mobile phone apps.<\/p>\n

I heard speakers talking about patient engagement and medication management.<\/p>\n

Clearly these people shared my passion and recognize that this is a problem that needs solving.<\/p>\n

But they also have to find a way to distinguish themselves from everyone else who is also targeting the medication non-compliance problem.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s dive into one of these companies to see how it differentiates itself.<\/p>\n

iRx Reminder \u2013 Helping the most complex medical patients <\/strong><\/p>\n

iRxReminder does not address the \u201cmass\u201d market for medication reminders…<\/p>\n

At first glance, their product – iLidRx – appears to be a fairly large and formidable medication compliance solution.<\/p>\n

After a conversation with Anthony Sterns, CEO, and Larry Tusick, VP of Business Development, however, the solution seemed compelling for the niche market it\u2019s meant to serve.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how it works:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. An at-risk patient\u2019s care team creates a medication regimen for the patient<\/li>\n
  2. Pharmacy fills the prescriptions by placing Rx\u2019s in the \u201cpods\u201d in the iLidRx, an automated tabletop medicine cabinet, akin to a jewelry box (the pods are cartridges filled with one medication each that dispense the appropriate dose when it\u2019s time to take a medication)<\/li>\n
  3. The patient\u2019s care team enters reminders, educational and symptom management information into the system<\/li>\n
  4. Patient returns home and is reminded about medications in multiple ways:<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n