l Financial barrier. The question for many is: Who pays for this stuff? The insurance company currently doesn’ t cover spa expenses, and that alone prevents a lot of people from switching health options.
4.
What can the health and wellness industry do to break through innovation barriers? In an ideal world, what the industry needs to do is completely change the paradigm or model on how we think about and pay for health care. Currently, we pay for health care on the basis of what procedures have been done; how many visits have been made; how many tablets have been taken. It doesn’ t measure: Are we feeling better? Is there a change in outcome? There is a need to change the payment system on the basis of measurable outcomes, instead, of inputs.
However, in order to make that change, we need to also change people’ s incentives. For instance, for general practitioners, they are paid on the basis of number of patient visits, procedures, and so on. If instead they are paid on what percentage of their patients get better and in some other measurable way, they are likely to suggest different health options. Eventually, the insurance companies and other stakeholders will likely fall in line.
5.
How is the rise of the empowered health consumer going to change the systems, solutions and products in both the health care and spa and wellness industries? We are seeing an increasing number of patients who, before going to the doctor’ s office, have already done their research or have received medical or health inputs from, perhaps, players in the health and wellness space or from their personal social networks. As a result, the empowered health consumer is more participative and is willing to ask more questions. Should I try yoga? Should I try a massage therapy? To some extent, it’ s also a combination of being skeptical about the treatment options provided by their physicians, finding the option that is most financially viable for them and being open to a variety of options. All of these are fundamentally changing the patient and physician interaction, and to a large extent, forcing the traditional health care establishment to be more inclusive of wider treatment options, including spa treatments.
6.
How do you see mobile and digital technology transform the future of health and wellness?
I see the growing presence and adaption of mobile apps as one that will transform health care delivery, both in developing and emerging markets.
As people get into the habit of using mobile apps as a way to monitor health and take preemptive measures, one of the more dramatic transformations I see in 10 to 20 years is the ability for mobile technology to create almost like a portable dispensary in order to do a diagnosis in the field and send data back to central facilities.
Currently, we see so many health and wellness apps that allow you to track various aspects of your health. There are calorie-counter apps, apps that connect consumers to health care providers, apps that allow doctors to follow a patient’ s vital signs which facilitate better diagnosis and timely treatment particularly for patients with chronic problems, to name a few.
7.
What creative partnerships can the health care and spa and wellness industries take on to further their common goal of creating a healthy community? To a large extent, there’ s almost a 360-degree view of partnerships that the spa industry needs to do with all stakeholders— health care delivery institutions, medical suppliers like pharmaceuticals, insurance companies, employers, consumer groups, and government conduits, like the politically active groups or those who have the ability to influence legislations. All of these stakeholders are important for fundamental change to take place. n
Requisites of Innovation
RECOGNITION OF AN UNMET NEED. For innovation to exist, one must first identify where or what the unmet need is.
WILLINGNESS TO EXPERIMENT. The openness to take on an unorthodox view, experiment with new approaches and connect the dots through these approaches is innovation in itself.
ABILITY TO DELIVER RESULTS. The true proof of innovation is results. It should fundamentally affect change.
HOW CAN YOU SUSTAIN INNOVATION? Chakravorti says adding a feature or another service on top of a bundle of service is not the answer. Read his expert insight on digital Pulse on experienceispa. com.
June 2012 n PULSE 57