🍎 healthy points economies

🤑 a penny for your health data

Jan 12

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

“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

Opinion: 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 isdlvr.it

SeanSilcoff @SeanSilcoff

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

Loblaw 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 strategytheglobeandmail.com

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.”

Loblaw 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…buff.ly

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 HealthLake recently 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 Bloomberg - Are you a robot?trib.al

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.