Healthier Thursday is a weekly health check-up service for senior citizens to detect whether users have early symptoms of a disease in collaboration with local food chains and local clinics. The service’s philosophy is prevention is always better than the cure, and detecting early symptoms matters. It also enables to keep a record or note that helps to get an accurate diagnosis, especially for recurrent problems.
“It is a great example of how two ecosystems can combine to create a great service experience; the ecosystem of healthcare and the ecosystem of retail.”
Core77 USA
healthier thursday
WHAT IS HEALTHIER THURSDAY SERVICE
Healthier Thursday is a weekly checkup service at local grocery stores. It is designed for senior citizens to screen early symptoms that are likely to be neglected. There will be one special till for the service on Thursdays. While checking items out, a trained cashier will ask some quick questions which will be sent to their GPs to determine whether users need to be examined. Healthier Thursday club card also stores nutritional information that users purchase at the store with consent.
The trained cashier puts information at the till and it is automatically sent to health centres. At the health centre, information is analyzed by medical staffs to see there is something to be looked at in detail. Stored data helps health centers to provide more accurate diagnosis.
Health Centre posts a monthly paper report to users informing whether s/he needs to see a doctor or participate in heatlh-related programs to improve their health. We believe a quick chat at the till with a trained cashier on Thursdays will greatly help users to engage with health centres to ensure a healthier life.
UNFAIR OUTCOME IN HEALTH
17 stops of 32 minutes journey, 17.2 years gap in life expectancy.
Only a dozen and a half tube stops separate South Kensington and Bromley by Bow, but there is a 17-year drop in life expectancy between these two neighbourhoods. There are many serious life-threatening conditions existing, however, we believe that they are also largely preventable.
“Prevention is always better than cure.”
Desiderius Erasmus
Detecting early symptoms can help to ensure a healthy life. Many medical professionals find a record or note kept by patients also help in an accurate diagnosis. Healthier Thursday service started with these two prime factors – detecting early symptoms and keeping a record. However through many conversations and workshops with patients in Bromley by Bow centre, and local residents, we found that long waiting time at the clinic discourages people to pay a visit.
LONG WAITING TIME DISCOURAGES PEOPLE SEEING GP
Long waiting time at the health centre discourages particularly the elderlies from going to see General Practioner (G.P) for thought-to-be-minor symptoms. According to the NHS, a G.P typically sees 40 patients a day which means if everything is running smoothly and a G.P sees patients continuously from 8.30 to 6.30, s/he has 12 minutes per patient. However, since circumstances are unlikely to be perfect in clinics, there is an inevitable waiting – average 43 minutes when you have an appointment.
MOREOVER, MANY OF TARGET USERS ARE INEXPERIENCED IN DIGITAL-BASE SERVICES
This is Claire (72 years old), our prospective user who has lived in Bromley by Bow for 35 years. She is inexperienced in digital technology and isolated from the internet and digital based service, e.g., booking a consultation with app or smart TV at her home.
– Relatively healthy for her age.
– Rarely goes to G.P, twice a year – she thinks she knows herself better than G.P.
– Feels G.P does not believe everything she says.
– Usually waits around 1 hour.
– Makes a reservation by walk-in.
– Lives on her pension
– Has retired 7 years ago
– Spends most money on foods, particularly seasonal ingredients
– Grows plants in a garden
– Attends knitting class once a week at a community centre
– Goes out for tea twice a week
– Very kind to other people
– Has few close girlfriends
– Feels lonely sometimes
PROSPECTIVE SERVICE SCENARIO AND INFORMATION FLOW
HEALTHIER THURSDAY SERVICE AT SELF-CHECKOUT TILL
Self-checkout till provides identical services and benefits as the manned-till. It aims to benefit users who feel uncomfortable with having a chat at the till or share some information in face. With the self-checkout till embedded with Healthier Thursday service, users can choose certain topics and questions which will help their GP to determine early symptoms. Under consensus, a local Health Centre collects nutrition information to suggest healthier diet and provide an accurate diagnosis.
RESULTS, RECOMMENDATION BY POST
Users will receive a monthly paper report from the centre with vouchers or coupons from the supermarket chains who offer the Healthier Thursday service. It benefits both of the service provider and the user. If there is anything to be looked at, the health centre posts a special note to inform a user if s/he needs to pay a visit to a doctor.
“Healthier Thursday should inspire others to find opportunities in cross sector service design.”
Core77 USA
