The Digital Health Landscape: Trust, Overload and Smart Health

Today, consumers have access to more information than ever before. But how do get accurate, researched and medically approved advice on menopause that we can trust? For many, independent medical research is a thriving pastime, but as the territory becomes progressively more populated, it can be difficult to know which sources to trust. 

The Challenge of Information Overload

Just as soon as you read about the life-lengthening benefits of veganism, you’ll discover a vlog hailing the carnivore diet as the next big thing. You’ll find an equal number of sources pushing paleo and keto, as those pushing high carb, Whole30 and the Mediterranean diet. Getting 10,000 steps a day sounds great in theory – until a multitude of think-pieces debunk the whole idea as hogwash. And then of course, there’s Freelee the Banana Girl, who came dangerously close to potassium poisoning while espousing the all-banana diet.

In the wild west of digital health advice, who is the authority? If we can’t trust Freelee the Banana Girl, who can we trust? And, most importantly, how do we discern fact from fiction? 

Empowering Holistic Wellbeing in the Digital Age

What we do know is that consumers rely heavily on the virtual space for wellness. From telehealth to online workouts, nutritious meal options and meditation apps, you just can’t beat the convenience of health support in your pocket. Convenience equates to timesaving and, increasingly, this is our most valued commodity.

The proliferation of healthcare solutions does have an upside. With wellbeing at front of mind, the perception of healthy living as a luxury is likely to change. Increasingly, competition will drive more cost-effective solutions out of the woodwork. With more data being collected online, AI will find correlations that were previously inaccessible, and better identify risk factors without the need for time-consuming human labour to collect and sift through information.

As the space evolves, health providers need to work for a share of the market. This is where smart health communities come in. Smart health communities tap into the emotional mind, creating connections and engagement. With up to 80% of health outcomes caused by factors unrelated to the medical system, this holistic approach to wellness is long overdue.

Success Story: Capital Chicks CANberra and the Power of Digital Health Solutions

The Goal

With one of the highest rates of gestational diabetes in Australia, Diabetes NSW & ACT successfully secured funding to use digital technology to raise awareness of gestational diabetes through ACT Health. The target was women from pre-conception to post-conception, educating on risk factors and prevention, in the hopes of influencing outcomes. 

The Approach

Cure Collective was engaged as strategic marketing partner and Springday was involved as technology partner. Together, we identified key characteristics of the target audience, and the health challenges they face. We researched how women were currently overcoming wellbeing challenges and what solutions already existed.

Then we looked for ways we could address these problems with new answers. Many of the current solutions available were time-consuming, expensive, and not evidence based. A bold creative approach was needed to attract attention. The Capital Chicks CANberra concept is based on the lives of four “chicks” representative of the key target segments. These characters are the storytellers and deliver important, research-based information in a fun, light-hearted tone of voice.

The Outcome

With a goal of 2,000 participants in the first 12 months, just four months after launching, the program had 5,000. Although it is too early to assess health outcomes, CANberra Chicks has almost 10x the target number of projected participants.

This is the first smart health community for Diabetes NSW & ACT, with others on the roadmap, and its success demonstrates that there is a real desire for an accessible health authority in the digital arena. 

Regardless of whether medical researchers and professionals intervene, online health information abounds, so it’s more important than ever to create room for a verifiable authority. Otherwise, we allow the space to be populated by influencers, vloggers and self-confessed life coaches who simply don’t have the facts. 

Metluma provides evidence-based health and wellbeing support for women at all stages of life. Learn how to live longer, be healthier, and optimise your health during menopause.