Katie’s Notebook: April 25, 2024
Hi Friends,
Spring is here! I was driving through my neighborhood this week and felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude for where I live. The trees all have leaves on them, people’s flower beds are blooming, and the pine pollen is waning. I’ve been taking my kids for evening bike rides and the later sun and crisp air feels so life-giving. It’s easy to get annoyed by life’s daily inconveniences — I am not immune to the associated frustration — but after celebrating my birthday recently I’ve decided to make more space for joy in my life. Will you join me? What makes you happy?
I have recently found some real gems across the internet and I can’t wait to share them with you!
Digital health has engagement wrong: Kate Wolin’s recent piece comparing digital health interventions to pharmaceutical dose-response theory is a great read.
A favorite takeaway. “When we study drugs, we look at the dose of medication received and evaluate if more is better. We also look for thresholds above which more doesn't help (or potentially even harms). Engagement is a good leading indicator in digital health models where a dose response relationship exists. Far too few programs consider that a threshold effect exists. And almost none consider models where the digital health solution is like a Z-pak - do these things for X time period and you are good to go.”
Knowing the science of engagement and value is essential to building interventions and considering how to price them! It’s not just how often you open an app.
The shoes I can’t quit: I kept seeing ads for Kiziks (affiliate)— the ‘hand free’ shoes that you just pop your feet into without having to do the laces. I wondered how much faster my morning routine would be without tying my shoes in addition to my kids' but as a person who likes her sneakers nice and snug, I held off from purchasing. Then spring came and I needed a new pair of white sneakers. After running into a REAL LIFE influencer (aka my sister) who bragged about how comfortable her’s were, I had to try them. It took 2 orders to get them right, but the exchange process was super smooth and they even offer a discount when you get your next pair during the exchange. Now I am wearing my new favorite sneakers almost daily and trying to convince my husband he needs some too.
THE Trends in FemTech report: Cheers to FemHealth Insights on the 2023 FemTech Landscape Report. The majority of registered and active companies (over 1,400) provide Consumer Product Goods (300+), but are closely followed by Digital Health Companies (~250!) I still stand by my separation of Women’s Health Innovation vs. FemTech so perhaps the topline numbers are a bit bloated, but I still appreciate the hard work it took to put this together. It’s a great source for funding, care areas, and company trends.
The 3 songs I have on repeat: Taylor Swift released her new album The Tortured Poets Department on my birthday and my favorite is the supposed nod to her relationship with Travis Kelce, The Alchemy. I went to see Hozier in concert last weekend and have a new appreciation for Francesca after learning the story behind the lyrics and seeing it live. Noah Kahan is one of the hottest new artists of the year. His song Northern Attitude is pretty tongue in cheek and great for a drive with the windows down.
One of my soapbox issues is improving research backing digital health: A common concern is how to find study participants. Well, I think this article sharing 15 clinical trial patient recruitment companies (and how to choose one) should help one of the pain points in closing the gaps between wanting evidence-based health tech and making it a reality. You get by with a little help from your friends, right? (Even if they are hired friends ;)
That’s a wrap for this issue. See you in May in about 2 weeks!
Be well,
Katie
