Behavioral design in action

1. everyday urinalysis with zero effort

Olive Diagnostics’ home urinalysis device exemplifies how innovative health-tech solutions can enhance compliance and device usage.

the challenge

Adherence is crucial not only in treatment but also in screening and monitoring. Urinalysis, one of the most common tests for diagnosing and tracking various health conditions, traditionally requires time-consuming and costly lab visits. These factors often discourage patients from regular testing, leading to missed opportunities for early diagnosis or detecting changes in health.

how does it work?

• A sensor is attached to the toilet that detects molecules in the urine via spectroscopy.

• It collects and analyses urine automatically via everyday toilet usage.

• It provides information and recommendations on metrics such as hydration status, electrolyte balance, vitamin balance, and kidney efficiency via companion apps.

the solution at a glance

The urine spectrometer device can be mounted to any toilet. It provides users with a 100% passive, non-invasive urinalysis, without needing to leave their homes or change their behaviour in any way. The usage is fully effortless, does not require any habit or lifestyle adaptation, and provides a possibility for continuous health monitoring and trend analysis on a daily basis.

If it’s easy to do, you’ll need less motivation to do it. Olive Diagnostics chose a direction that demanded significant technical innovation but promised the best adherence: their solution radically simplifies the effort required from the patient.

key takeaways:

• A fully passive, undisruptive approach that maximises compliance

• Data is collected without disturbing patient routines

• The effortless, passive usage does not require substantial motivation from patients

• A high usage rate allows detailed tracking of daily trends via AI

2. helping users succeed with CPAP sleep therapy 

the challenge

Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder characterised by repeated breathing interruptions during sleep. The primary treatment method is CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) that uses a machine to deliver a steady stream of pressurised air through a mask that covers the nose and sometimes the mouth.

The CPAP machine keeps the airway open, stabilising oxygen levels all night, enhancing sleep quality, and lowering the risks of sleep apnea-related health issues like high blood pressure, heart disease or stroke.

However, adapting to sleeping with CPAP machines takes time and can present challenges, leading to discomfort, frustration, and potentially abandoning the therapy.

how does it work? 

ResMed created the myAir app to ease patients into sleep therapy, make them comfortable, and assist in maintaining their commitment to the treatment.

The app provides tailored coaching with interactive, voice-guided instructions and videos to help users with equipment setup, initial adjustment and adaptations.

It applies gamification and reward mechanisms to provide patients with positive feedback on their progress that boosts motivation and adherence to the therapy.

the solution at a glance

ResMed’s myAir app enhances CPAP therapy adherence through personalised device usage coaching, progress tracking, and providing tips and encouragement. It assists patients throughout their entire journey—from adaptation through maintenance to adjusting their CPAP treatment for more effect.

Treatments with difficult adjustment period and complex logistics can gain significantly from continuous digital assistance. When a patient’s adherence ability is low, well-crafted support retains a crucial role.

key takeaways:

• Personalised support via companion app sets users up for successful therapy

• Daily score system and progress tracking provides clear feedback and motivation by showing results

• People who use myAir have been shown to get one extra hour of sleep every night compared to other CPAP users 

3. digital treatment companions for post-surgery recovery

msk.ai specialises in enhancing patient outcomes through digital solutions, with focus on musculoskeletal health. Surgeons, doctors, rehabilitation specialists and other healthcare professionals can create digital treatment companions which are customised to each care pathway.

the challenge

Patients recovering from surgeries must navigate complex recovery procedures laden with several challenges. Understanding and adhering to detailed post-surgical care routines can become overwhelming, and integrating necessary recovery activities like physiotherapy exercises into one’s daily life can prove difficult. 

Without direct supervision or support, there’s often a decrease in motivation to continue these exercises at home.

how does it work? 

MyRecovery aids orthopedic surgery patients by boosting adherence to care programs through behavioural strategies, including personalised videos, care plans, and progress tracking.

The MyRecovery app enhances patient adherence by clearly outlining the recovery journey and expected outcomes, thereby motivating patients to take action. Among others, its feature portfolio includes an exercise planner with demonstrations, a daily pain score tracker, and a pre-admission checklist. 

The app provides essential guidance to patients, all the while emphasising the importance of understanding and actively participating in the recovery process.

the solution at a glance

The MyRecovery app serves as a supporting digital companion for patients before and after surgery. It reduces stress by providing information on upcoming procedures and offers post-surgery support to promote adherence to physiotherapy and recovery plans.

MyRecovery is a comprehensive digital platform that empowers patients to participate actively in their recovery. While companion apps can be effective digital enhancements to therapy, the advantages of a broader solution that also incorporates features for practitioners can be significant.

key takeaways:

• Personalised support for users ensures that recovery tips stay relevant

• Consistent progress updates and pain tracking make patients feel supported throughout their recovery journey

• Remote care support reduces the need for on-site visits, saving users time and making adherence easier

4. habit-building coach for medical adherence

the challenge

To manage hypertension, patients need to consistently take medication and monitor their blood pressure. 

Non-adherence can stem from lack of motivation, forgetfulness, or challenges in daily integration— but combatting it is crucial. Maintaining motivation can be even more difficult for conditions that have no immediate symptoms, as the serious effects of neglect only become apparent over time.

how does it work? 

Habita is a medication companion app developed by Supercharge for Egis Pharmaceuticals. It aims to boost adherence to hypertension treatment plans leveraging key behavioural design techniques.

The app relies on a crucial behavioural design strategy: it helps patients form new habits by integrating them into existing routines with personalised coaching.

Habita guides patients through a journey to link medication intake with daily activities (e.g., toothbrushing), and uses gamification and rewards to foster long-term adherence to treatment.

The app also keeps track of patients’ medication inventory, reducing the cognitive burden of managing med supplies on time.

the solution at a glance 

The Habita app serves as a habit-building coach, helping hypertension patients integrate medication intake and blood pressure monitoring into their daily routine. Grounded in behavioural science, it utilises digital prompts, a reward system, and techniques such as habit-stacking to enhance long-term adherence to the treatment plan.

Digital support for medication adherence doesn’t mean sending constant reminder notifications. Instead, long-term outcomes can be reached only if we find a way to help patients establish consistent habits of medication intake.

key takeaways:

• Support habit formation (instead of running the risk of patients overlooking simple digital reminders as they get too accustomed to them)

• Gradually establishing new habits helps users build up their motivation and confidence

• Instant positive feedback provides a feeling of accomplishment about treatment progress

• Linking a new behaviour to an existing routine can be a strong “behavioural trigger” that can turn the behaviour into an automatic action

what’s coming next in digital adherence support?

a continuous, passive monitoring of health

Wearable sensors will become more widespread and sophisticated, making it effortless to monitor a wide range of health metrics in real-time without patient involvement.

Additionally, passive and non-invasive home health monitoring systems—such as smart toilets, mirrors and scales—will become more affordable. This will enrich the range of available data points.

Continuous health monitoring through a broad range of sensor data will enable early detection of changing health conditions and help identify trends. This will allow healthcare providers to monitor adherence and personalise treatments more effectively.

integrated, AI-driven health insights 

The increasing abundance of health data from wearables, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), and genomic sources will pave the way for AI-driven solutions that analyse data to offer essential insights. Integrating isolated data sources in healthcare systems may seem slow now, but it will steadily advance over time.

AI-driven insights will revolutionise personalised medicine, making it more cost-effective and scalable. Healthcare providers will be empowered to customise treatment plans according to each patient’s unique health context, lifestyle, and medical history.

Adherence to treatment regimens could improve significantly due to digital aids offering recommendations perfectly tailored to individual patient behaviours and responses to treatment.

AI-based virtual health coaching

Virtual AI health coaches, powered by Large Language Models, will soon become the new frontier of health-tech innovations. This technology is rapidly maturing, fuelled by attention from both startups and tech giants. Their efforts will eventually lead to high-enough predictability to start applying the technology in healthcare.

Building upon integrated health data and AI-based insight generation, AI will coach patients in a personalised manner to enhance adherence and support therapies. The aim is to provide personal assistants capable of delivering human-like support at a fraction of the cost.

AI coach solutions will provide customised health education and behavioural nudges tailored to the patient’s specific condition and treatment plan. During interactive communication, AI health coaches will enhance patient motivation with instant feedback and encouragement. This innovation will aid healthcare systems to become more scalable and deliver personalised support in an economical way.

key takeaways

• Behavioural design, the combination of technology solutions with behavioural science insights is a powerful approach to increase patient adherence and the usage of medical devices.

• Simplifying the behaviour, boosting motivation, and providing timely triggers are key strategies to improve patient engagement and adherence.

• Real-world health-tech solutions, such as automated urinalysis and AI-driven lung health monitoring, apply these principles successfully to address specific adherence challenges.

• Future health-tech innovations will focus on continuous passive health monitoring and AI-driven personalised health coaching to further improve patient experiences and outcomes.