Follow us on Twitter Connect on LinkedIn Visit our Flickr gallery Visit our YouTube channel Blog Feed
Sprockets
Think of our blog as a window where you can see what's new with us, our clients and the demand creation world we operate in. To close the loop between advertising and sales, we find ourselves in interesting places: cornfields, laboratories, retail stores, bank lobbies and more. Enjoy our tales. Be sure to share yours.

Author Archives: admin

May 11, 2012

Healthcare In The Palm Of Your Hand

Erin Foster, Account Manager, Healthcare Practice Group
I don’t know what I’d do without my phone.  It keeps me connected – with work, with family, with my toddler’s babysitter.  It reminds me of appointments.  It keeps me informed.  It holds my schedules, my contacts, my emails, my pictures, my newsfeed, my calendar.  And maybe, a game or two  — just for fun.

But I could not have predicted a day when a smartphone like mine would become instrumental in the medical care of patients.  A recent article published in InformationWeek, (“Pick Up Your Smartphone: The Doctor’s Calling“) reports that healthcare providers are increasingly using this new technology to reach out to patients – including underserved populations who may not have traditional desktop computers, but do have mobile phones.

Here at Technekes, we incorporate the same technology in our Patient Assistance Program platform, giving drug manufacturers a tool for reminding patients to re-apply for the program.

And that, I believe, is only the beginning.  At Technekes, we can verify PAP eligibility, inform patients of their status, and confirm shipping via phone, text or email.

The opportunity and technology is there – allowing us to reach patients in need in a way never before possible.

If only it could have dinner ready when I get home at night.

Author admin
0
February 7, 2012

Cash? What kind of a “gift” is that?

by Alex Dowlin, Vice President, Healthcare Practice

Years ago, in an episode of Seinfeld, Jerry gives Elaine a stack of bills — $182 altogether — for her birthday.  Her incredulous response went along these lines, “Cash?  Cash?  You gave me cash?”  Kramer, also disbelieving, chimes in, “Cash?  You gotta be kidding.  What kind of a gift is that?  That’s like something her uncle would get her.”

I think of that episode every time a company asks why they should offer incentives over cold, hard cash.

For starters, incentive items have longevity — or to use an industry term, they are “sticky.”  Cash bonuses are fleeting – usually spent quickly and spent entirely.  An incentive, i.e., “gift” is different.  It has a shelf-life.  Whether an iPod listened to every day or a set of golf clubs used occasionally, a gift stays around.

Because they are tangible, incentive items also lend themselves to emotional memories.  Cash, on the other hand, is seen as more utilitarian.  Bonuses are often spent in mundane ways like paying down bills or are simply absorbed into everyday purchases.  An incentive, i.e., a “gift” is different.  It has staying power.  When a sales associate listens to her new iPod or prepares dinner on his new Weber gas grill, they remember how they chose and received the gift.  And while it stays around, the “gift” reminds the recipient of the “giver” – the company that provided the reward.

And finally, cold, hard cash is well, cold and hard.  Studies have found that employees come to regard cash bonuses as “expected,” rather than something special.  The recipients don’t feel any lasting warmth as a result of receiving a cash bonus.   Furthermore, it’s hard to talk about cash, depriving the recipient of “bragging rights.”  Few people want to – or in some cases, are even allowed to – tell friends and extended family about a bonus received.  On the other hand, they’ll speak freely, openly and kindly about the appliances, boats or trips receive.

Bottom line, I think Kramer got it right, “Cash?  What kind of a gift is that?”

 

 

Author admin
0
December 2, 2011

“RxMatters” Matters More Than Ever.

Sandy Moulton, Executive Director, RxMatters Foundation

When most of us think of poverty in America, we think of the homeless, the unemployed or other individuals who somehow missed out on the American dream.  We don’t picture the poor as people we know – people living in the suburbs in households headed by married couples with fulltime jobs.  (See “Older, Suburban and Struggling, ‘Near Poor’ Startle The Census,” The New York Times.)  However, a new government measure of poverty released last month identifies the poor and “near poor” as being people who look a lot like us and our friends and neighbors.  Even the government bean counters who work on these issues every day were surprised to find that, under this new calculation, one out of every three Americans lives at or just above the poverty level.

Those of us who work with healthcare benefit programs should welcome the change from the long-criticized Federal Poverty Level, which measured financial status solely by the annual family income.  The new Supplemental Poverty Measure provides a more realistic assessment of household wealth by taking into account benefits such as food stamps and tax credits, as well as expenses like insurance and transportation costs, and then adjusts the total for regional differences in the cost of living.

This new review of the complexity of poverty in America points out the vital need for pharmaceutical Patient Assistance Programs.  Through its service provider, Technekes, the Foundation works to offer pharmaceutical manufacturers a streamlined and compassionate way to provide free prescription drugs to patients who cannot otherwise afford them.  With poverty now affecting some 51 million Americans, programs like RxMatters are needed now, more than ever.

 

Author admin
0
November 3, 2011

Nothing Smooth About
The Midnight Mo’rauders

Alex Dowlin, Director of Sales Operations, Healthcare Practice Group

As many of you know, a group of brave gentlemen here at Technekes in Raleigh and Charlotte have taken on the task of bringing awareness for prostate cancer … by growing moustaches.

Someone very close to my wife, Heather, and me has been recently diagnosed with prostate cancer, and to show support for him and bring awareness for men’s health, I’ve pledged my “attempt” to cultivate a genuine 100% face grown moustache for 30 days.  It’s Movember, the month formerly known as November, which is dedicated to growing moustaches and raising awareness and funds for men’s health. I have joined the movement and will be donating my upper lip to the cause for 30 days.

My moustache (Mo) will spark conversations, and no doubt generate some laughs; all in the name of raising vital awareness and funds for cancers affecting men.  Please join in our effort by becoming a Mo Bro or Mo Sista, or support with donations or forwarding on our progress to your networks.  You can see updated pictures of the team here:  http://mobro.co/alexdowlin.  (As of today, it looks like my lip is dirty.)  This won’t be pretty.  I will forward out progress of our team, the Midnight Mo’rauders as we progress.

Why am I so passionate about men’s health?

  • 1 in 6 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime
  • A man is diagnosed with prostate cancer every 2.2 minutes
  • 1 in 2 men will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime
  • 24% of men are less likely to go the doctor compared to women

Please support my efforts by making a donation to our team, The Midnight Mo’rauders, at http://mobro.co/alexdowlin.

You can even write a check payable to “Movember Foundation”, reference my name and Registration Number 1913786 and send it to: Movember Foundation, PO Box 2726, Venice, CA 90294-2726

If you’d like to find out more about the type of work you’d be helping to fund by supporting Movember, take a look at the Programs We Fund section on the Movember website: http://us.movember.com/about

Thank you all in advance for supporting my efforts to change the face of men’s health.

Author admin
0
October 31, 2011

Client Quote Of The Week

I didn’t think magic existed, but I just witnessed it. Your email was a trainstopper in every case. Thanks for waving your magic wand!”

 

 

Author admin
0