Interview with Kenneth Purfey, CFO, Identification Solutions

Situation: At the January Consumer Electronics Show, it was evident that a hot market for 2011 will be low cost enabling devices to monitor patient medical conditions via smartphone. These devices can improve early detection of disease and lower medical costs. However, the bureaucratic inertia of major medical providers can inhibit the adoption of disruptive technologies. What can you do to accelerate consumer acceptance of a new device?

Advice:

• Let’s take a particular device as an example – an inexpensive ultrasound device that can both provide the results of a breast scan for cancer and transmit the results to your physician.
• A device like this can be emotional for some women, and they may be reluctant to use a product not recommended by their doctor. It is therefore important to gain physician acceptance of the device. You can achieve this by:
  • Publishing medical studies demonstrating the efficacy of the device.
  • Building and leveraging relationships with medical societies and groups through while papers, and presentations at meetings by champions for the device.
  • Participating in high profile events such as American Cancer Society events or the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.
• Consumer awareness of the device can be built through:
  • Targeted advertisements in women’s magazines.
  • Gaining the support of high profile women spokespersons who have experienced and recovered from breast cancer. This can generate radio and television talk show appearances.
  • Infomercials via television and the Internet.
  • Generating discussion about the device on disease-specific web sites to generate viral marketing.
• Do not be afraid of researching non-traditional activities. Recently, it was discovered that there is significant potential for a device like this in portions of the Muslim world, where women won’t see a male doctor, and unfortunately few female doctors are available. This results in breast cancer death rates three times higher than those seen in the West.

You can contact Ken Purfey at [email protected]

Key Words: Medical Device, Smartphone, Early Detection, Medical Costs, Consumer Awareness, Ultrasound, Breast Cancer, Physician, Doctor, Advertisement, Infomercial  [like]