By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: The Ultimate Tech Product Test: “Is It Good Enough for Mom?”
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > eHealth > The Ultimate Tech Product Test: “Is It Good Enough for Mom?”
eHealth

The Ultimate Tech Product Test: “Is It Good Enough for Mom?”

eCaring
eCaring
Share
3 Min Read
SHARE
tech product test

photo credit Jeffrey Makowka via Twitter

“If you’re not developing for the 50+ market, you should be,” said Sanjay Khurana, Director of Thought Leadership for AARP.

tech product test

photo credit Jeffrey Makowka via Twitter

“If you’re not developing for the 50+ market, you should be,” said Sanjay Khurana, Director of Thought Leadership for AARP.

In Sanjay’s recent talk at HxRefactored — a 2-day conference that uniquely brought together designers, innovators, providers, payors, and clinicians to discuss the future of user centered practices in health care — he highlighted a striking fact that many technologists today overlook: The wealth of the 50+ demographic would be the 3rd largest economy in the world.

His message to innovators? Stop designing for the messenger-bag-totting hipster. Try addressing the 100 million strong demographic (the 50+) that generates annually over $7.1 trillion in economic activity in the US.

More Read

VA woes
Conversation About Veterans Administration’s Woes Has Not Yet Hit the Right Note
Will Medicare Cover Telehealth?
How Do We Search For Health Information?
Social Media and Healthcare: Creating a Healthy Relationship
5 Ways Tablets Can Improve Third-World Healthcare

And the money is following towards this economic trend: there has been a 59% increase in funding for aging tech (for startups like us!), despite the fact that it’s not as “sexy” a segment as other areas of health tech.

Given the vast array of challenges and problems facing the aging demographic, where are the biggest opportunities for innovation? Medication management, vital sign monitoring, and care navigation offer the largest areas of growth, Khurana said. The full report from AARP and Startup Health highlights all nine health innovation frontiers, which represent a vast and under-addressed market opportunity.

innovation in healthcareHowever, getting seniors and caregivers to actually change their behaviors will be the ultimate key to success, Khurana pointed out, saying, “Great design is at the center of effective behavior change”. Good design matters because it changes people’s perceptions — and in this case, false misconceptions about aging and growing older. Consider “senior citizen” products of the past (the “Help I’ve Fallen and Can’t Get Up” commercial comes to mind), and you instantly have a mental image of something that’s aesthetically lacking to say the least — bland colors, clunky user interfaces, etc. Khurana compelled innovators to put their products to the “Mom” test and themselves “Is this product good enough for my Mom? She deserves the best”.

Khurana went on to elaborate that the products that will win out in today’s aging tech market are ones that:

  • are affordable
  • solve a simple problem
  • make software updates a seamless process

If you’re interested in learning more about digital health insights for the 50+ market, read AARP’s report here.

TAGGED:aarpbaby boomersdigital healthinnovation
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

dental care
Importance of Good Dental Care for Health and Confidence
Dental health Specialties
October 2, 2025
AI in Healthcare
AI in Healthcare: Technology is Transforming the Global Landscape
Global Healthcare Policy & Law Technology
October 1, 2025
Choosing the Right Swimwear for Health and Safety
News
September 30, 2025
sports concussions
Concussion In Sports: How Common They Are And What You Need To Know
Infographics
September 28, 2025

You Might also Like

StethoCloud–A $20 Stethoscope Attachment for a Smartphone to Diagnose Pneumonia In the Works

August 27, 2012

ZocDoc Publishes a New Primer on Social Media Marketing for Healthcare Providers

February 23, 2013
Image
eHealthGlobal HealthcareMedical EducationMedical RecordsMobile HealthRemote DiagnosticsSocial MediaTechnology

#Doctors20 & You Conference: #mHealth, #ePatients, #Collaboration

May 25, 2012

The Benefits Tumblr Can Have for a Hospital

May 16, 2014
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?