🍎 healthy points economies

🤑 a penny for your health data

erin griffith @eringriffith

the energy around startups moving to miami is reminding me of all the rah rah excitement for the NYC tech scene circa 2010, encapsulated by this @NYMag cover story

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“A grocer is building a digital healthcare ecosystem.” 

🔮 The sentence reads like something auto-generated by the Magical Realism Bot. Instead, it describes the recent launch of Loblaw’s PC Health app. I wrote about the implications of it in the Globe and Mail (*subscribers only) 👇

Report on Business @globebusiness

Loblaw’s points economy for private-health data follows Big Tech’s playbook

dlvr.itOpinion: Loblaw’s points economy for private-health data follows Big Tech’s playbookGamification of healthy habits isn’t new, but tethering them to a reliable rewards program is

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SeanSilcoff @SeanSilcoff

Loblaw partners with League to refer shoppers through app to health services, ties loyalty points to wellness behaviours /via @globeandmail

theglobeandmail.comLoblaw to refer shoppers to health services, ties loyalty points to wellness behavioursThe company’s new PC Health app is a partnership with Canadian digital health startup League, and part of a larger multimillion-dollar strategy

While the PC Health app doesn’t quite meet the definition of a “health information custodian,” as a service provider it may meet the definition of an “agent” - it all depends on the specific data flow. It seems as if this deliberately sits in a hazy area.

Digital Magazine @digitalmag_

“We are breaking new ground here. It’s not just about the front door to Loblaw, but the front door to healthcare.”

buff.lyLoblaw Introduces PC Health: A Digital Healthcare Ecosystem | Digital MagazineOne of the most meaningful benefits to come from continued digital evolution is the power to access healthcare and wellness on-demand–the barrier has never been lower. A quick search is all it takes…

To my mind, this continued expansion into the health tech space is reminiscent of activity from Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and Apple. For instance, Amazon’s HealthLakerecently launched to enable the analysis of healthcare data at petabyte scale, providing valuable digital infrastructure to modernize health data. Amazon also has a network of health clinics for employees. But the firm also just announced they’d be shutting down a high-profile joint health care venture.

Bloomberg @business

Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase plan to shut down Haven, a joint attempt to overhaul employee health care launched with great fanfare three years ago

trib.alBloomberg - Are you a robot?

The grocer seems to be on a conspicuous pathway to digital advertising dominance.

The logic behind the app is also kind of paternalistic. Loblaw’s purpose is “Live Life Well.” The below is from their (2019) Annual Report re: “Data Driven Insights,”

We have a rich set of data that offers us unique insights into the needs and expectations of our customers. As we continue to enhance our data and analytical capabilities, our focus is on seeing, knowing and acting on their behalf, thereby helping them live their life well.

Let’s earn pretend points for getting out of this gray zone and reward Canadians with the clarity they deserve to live their digital lives well. 

Max Greenwood @writeandrepeat

I wrote about PC Health and how Loblaw is the only company in Canada really capable of launching a holistic digital healthcare solution. Also—expect to see things like "walk 10,000 steps, get 100 PC Optimum points" very soon.

Digital Magazine @digitalmag_

“We are breaking new ground here. It’s not just about the front door to Loblaw, but the front door to healthcare.” https://t.co/TeF0V2999g

Here is Loblaw’s Health Privacy Notice.

Vass Bednar is the Executive Director of McMaster University’s new Master of Public Policy in Digital Society Program.