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Johnson & Johnson?s Janssen Healthcare Innovation drives consumer wellness via mobile

Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Janssen Healthcare Innovation has rolled out a mobile application to help remind consumers to take prescriptions.

The company?s Care4Today Mobile Adherence program is a digital platform that consumers can access on mobile and desktops to track their health and prescriptions. The program sends reminders to mobile users via push notifications.

?We are trying to make it as easy as possible for consumers to take their medicines, and the best way to reach the majority of people in the United States is through mobile,? said David Tripi, founding partner of Janssen Healthcare Innovation, San Diego.

?We were looking for something that could be massively distributed,? he said.

Janssen Healthcare Innovation is a team within the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson.

Mobile reminder
To participate in the program, consumers can sign up at https://care4today.com.

Once creating an account with a mobile phone number attached, smartphone consumers are sent an SMS message that can be used to download the app.

The app is available for iPhone, iPad and Android devices.

Users can then set reminders to take their prescriptions with customized messages.

When it is time to take a prescription, the app sends a push notification that consumers must respond to. The app then keeps a log of a consumer?s medicine history.

The company is getting the word out about the program through internal promotion and through media releases.

On-the-go health
Mobile is undoubtedly changing the healthcare industry.

According to research from Frost & Sullivan, the No. 1 reason that consumers do not take their prescriptions is because they forget, showing the opportunity that mobile offers marketers to connect with patients.

In particular, push notifications can play an important role for the mobile healthcare industry for time-sensitive and urgent messages.

Outside of Janssen Healthcare Innovation, Johnson & Johnson has been doing a lot in the mobile healthcare space.

Recently the company rolled out a mobile site as part of the 10-year anniversary of the Campaign for Nursing?s Future (see story).

According to Mr. Tripi, new versions of the app are already slated as updates. The future versions of both the app and Web site will include more images and information about medications.

Updating an app on a regular basis is always a smart move for marketers and by thinking into the future, Janssen Healthcare Innovation is showing that it is already one step ahead of the curve.

?The mobile app and site are designed to help consumers take and refill their prescriptions and manage their healthcare appointments,? Mr. Tripi said.

Final Take
Lauren Johnson is associate reporter on Mobile Marketer, New York