RememberItNow! Launches Mobile Medication Reminder and eHealth Service

Alex Bettencourt - March 8, 2010

Easy-to-use online service empowers people to take control of their health with cell phone medication and event reminders, a personal health record, and private care community.

March 11, 2010, Orinda, CA - RememberItNow! LLC announced the launch today of the first eHealth service which helps people take medications correctly by sending reminders to their cell phone. RememberItNow! also makes it simple to maintain a personal health record and create an interactive private care community.

RememberItNow! is available from any browser at work, home, or on the go. It improves medication compliance, overall health, and keeps everyone connected: patients, family, healthcare providers, and more.

RememberItNow! Helps Americans Take Control of Their Health
RememberItNow! is for people who want an easy way to take control of their health, starting with their medications.

According to the National Council on Patient Information and Education, an estimated 32 million Americans take three or more medications daily. However, taking medications correctly can be a challenge. Nearly 50% of people don’t take their medications as prescribed.

The number one reason patients are non-compliant is because they simply forget. The total annual healthcare costs in the U.S. that results from patient non-compliance is enormous.  The Journal of American Pharmacy Association has estimated the cost at $177 billion. Other reports put the cost of non-compliance closer to $300 billion.  RememberItNow! helps control healthcare costs by helping people take the right medication, at the right time, and in the right dose.

RememberItNow! is for the 100+ million Americans with chronic diseases who want to spend less time worrying about following the doctor’s orders. It’s for the estimated 65 million Americans reported by AARP who serve as caregivers, and need help coordinating care. And it’s for employers who struggle with the expense of providing healthcare benefits.

“RememberItNow! was born out of my desire to help my 80-year-old father remember to take his medications and stay healthier”, reports Pamela Swingley, CEO and founder of RememberItNow!. “I wanted a way to collaborate on his health care without intruding in his life. I was frustrated with the solutions that were available because they were either too technically complex for Dad, or much too basic; your typical paper schedules and alarms.”

eHealth Made Easy
Unlike many other services that turn managing health into a major project, RememberItNow! makes eHealth easy. The software is designed from the patient’s point of view. It is intuitive to use, flexible for different health situations, uses familiar terminology and contains health tools that fit the patient’s situation, not the doctors.

“Most web applications assume users are way more Internet savvy than they are, or want to be,” points out Swingley. “Managing medications is complex enough. We’ve focused on building our software to work the way people do.” It takes less than five minutes to get started with RememberItNow!, and online or phone support is available for those that need help.

Remember with Reminders
RememberItNow! sends SMS text messages or email reminders for medications and events to the user’s cell phone. Messages can be customized with special instructions, adjusted for time zones, and can be turned on or off for each activity.

Beta customer, Ray Garr, reports that RememberItNow! has greatly improved his health. “RememberItNow! has literally been a life saver for me. I get very busy at work, and remembering my pills isn’t a priority. Getting reminders is a nice way to keep me on my schedule, and it’s one less thing I have to worry about.”

Create a Care Community
RememberItNow! connects patients, family, caregivers, and health care providers through a private care community. The community can be used to coordinate care, support long-distance caregiving and provide peace of mind for family members.

Maintain a Personal Health Record
In addition to tracking medication schedules and events, RememberItNow! users can record their medical history, manage contacts, keep a health journal, record bio-metrics and save their favorite website links.

Mobile Access
With RememberItNow! Mobile, smart phone users have their medical details at hand. They can access their daily schedule and medical information, enter readings and make journal updates anywhere, at anytime.

Availability
RememberItNow! is available at www.RememberItNow.com. Basic plans are free and premium plans start at $4.99 a month. All paid plans include a 30-day free trial.

About RememberItNow! LLC
RememberItNow! makes eHealth easy. Designed from the patient’s point-of-view, it is simple to schedule cell phone  medication reminders, maintain a personal-health-record, and create a care community. Getting started is fast and free.

RememberItNow’s patient-centric SaaS platform is also available to healthcare providers, employers, and long-term care facilities. Headquartered in Orinda, CA, RememberItNow! is privately held. Learn more at www.rememberitnow.com.

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Smart Phones Lead The Way In mHealth

Alex Bettencourt - March 8, 2010

droid phone 778204 Smart Phones Lead The Way In mHealth

At the end of 2009 there were 4.6 billion mobile phone users around the globe. By the end of 2010 this number is expected to reach 5 billion.  And in 2014 Mary Meeker of Morgan Stanley predicts there will be 2,776 MM 3G global users, this means 43% of the population!

In North America 260,575,000 people are expected to have smart phones! This means 74% of the population will be busy browsing the web and text messaging away on their phones constantly!

Why is this new behavior catching the attention of health industry leaders and government officials? Because the more people have access to smart phones, the more popular mHealth will be; which leads to more money and lives saved.

mHealth or mobile health is any medical and public health practice supported by a mobile device like a smart phone, PDA, or a patient-monitoring device. Because smart phones are one of the most popular mHealth devices, health care applications are increasing everyday. The iPhone has more than a hundred health applications, and the BlackBerry and Droid are not far behind.

The convenience of smart phones is the quality that plays such a crucial role in expanding mhealth. People can access their health information anywhere at anytime.

You can send and store health care information, research, and monitor your biometrics wherever you are. You don’t have to carry an extra device either, it’s all on your phone.

As the popularity of mHealth increases with smart phones, health industry leaders will recognize the demand to expand mHealth even more. Michael O’Hara, CMO of GSMA (the global mobile industry trade association) reports $175 - $200 billion is saved internationally due to mHealth solutions that effectively managing chronic diseases.

In the United States, mHealth could save up to $21 billion. If these numbers aren’t impressive enough for our leaders to invest more attention onto mHealth solutions, what is?

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Push vs. Text

Alex Bettencourt - March 5, 2010

iphone push2 168x300 Push vs. TextMaybe you have or haven’t noticed, but text message rates are increasing this year from 10 to 20 cents a message. Many of us are left grumbling and wondering why.  Well, there actually isn’t much of an explanation, at least not one we can get our hands on.

When Senator Herb Kohl, Democrat of Wisconsin, asked major American phone companies about the text message rate increase, he received lengthy, but private written responses of the pricing plans.

Unfortunately, the responses are still not allowed to be released publicly. And when Randall Strauss of the New York Times tried to research this topic as well, his attempts to speak with mobile phone representatives were blocked. Big surprise.

What does this mean for us?

It might be time to look for other options, like push notifications. Push notifications alert your iPhone when a message has arrived from another service like Skype or Twitter. (more…)

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Patient Navigator - Why You Might Need One

Alex Bettencourt - February 24, 2010

Senior couple meeting with agent

Most of us haven’t even heard of a patient navigator before. Now that it has taken the 11th spot on the list of top jobs for the coming decade, the patient navigator is receiving more and more attention.

So what exactly is a patient navigator? The title actually indicates many of its main functions; they “navigate” patients throughout their health care. Families can quickly become overwhelmed when providing long-distance care, and patient navigators quickly alleviate the stress. They help communicate, care, and support your aging loved one going through an illness.

According to Senior Care Examiner, a patient navigator’s job “is to provide up-to-date, reliable information to the patient and family so that with the medical team, they feel confident about his or her treatment decisions.”

One should also note that your patient navigator is not a source for medical advice. They only provide the valuable skill of communication between you and your medical team. (more…)

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Medication Reminders - Home Devices

Alex Bettencourt - February 11, 2010

medication reminder pill dispenser2 150x150 Medication Reminders   Home Devices

Tips about Home Device Medication Reminders
When it comes to medications reminders, you have a number of choices, from those that you wear, to reminders that come on your phone, to devices that are used in your own home.

Home medication reminder devices have developed into so much more than the old fashioned pill box dispenser. They’re more compact and convenient than ever. (more…)

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Medication Reminders - Alarm Watches

Alex Bettencourt - February 10, 2010

Remember your Pills with an Alarm Watch
Medication reminders come in all sorts of shapes in sizes. One of the most popular types of medication reminders come in watch form.

Getting a watch alarm is a great idea if you are active. You never have to worry about losing your medication reminder because it’s on you.

So, how do you choose the right medication alarm watch? It’s probably best to start searching online. One of the most popular websites to look for alarm watch medication reminders is ePill.

What Alarm Watch is Right for You?
Although this site can be overwhelming, it’s best to just to type in “alarm watch” in the search box. As you navigate straight to your list of choices, think about other types of criteria you want in your medication reminder alarm watch.

* Do you want your alarm watch to be digital or normal?

* Do you want a pocket watch or wristwatch?

* Do you want the option of having more than 12 alarms or more? Or less?

* Do you want your medical ID on it, or do you prefer a subtle look?

There are a lot of options and prices to having a medication reminder watch. You’ll see that most of them are not cheap and range between $70.00 - $90.00. (more…)

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What We’re Reading

Pamela Swingley - February 8, 2010
  • How do home care agencies use technology?
    Home care (unlike nursing homes) represent a growth market. Home care agencies are showing solid revenue growth according to the National Private Duty Association (NPDA). Seventy-one percent report that revenue increased from 2008-2009, despite a poor economy and 83% indicate that they are hiring in 2010. Meanwhile, nursing home beds are disappeari...
  • In Mobile, Fragmentation is Forever. Deal With It.
    Source: TechCrunch
    Editor’s note: Richard Wong is a venture capitalist with Accel Partners, an investor in AdMob, GetJar, and SunRun, and a former mobile industry executive. In this guest post he argues that the fragmentation of mobile devices and platforms is here to stay, and offers some advice to entrepreneurs on how to deal with it. Mobile data is on fire. De...
  • Never confuse “Being a nice guy” for “Weakness”
    Whenever I talk to other CEOs or other people in industry who have “made it big,” one of the things I always ask is if they’re thought of as a “nice guy” – by their friends, employees, competitors, clients, etc. The CEOs usually launch into a litany of reasons why they’re “nice guys.” They donate to charities, they sit on the boar...
  • Plugin by C. Murray Consulting

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What’s New With RememberItNow!

Alex Bettencourt - February 5, 2010

monarch butterfly large2 Whats New With RememberItNow!

Drum roll please… We have emerged from our winter cocoon and we’re ready to share our exciting new features!

Online Help

We are introducing an innovative way to help customers. The next time you need support, we can personally help you without over the phone hassle. How is this possible? Well, we have enabled new software updates that allow us to log into your account and share your screen.

You might be thinking, “What?! I don’t want people just logging in and out of my account.” Don’t worry. This is only enabled with your permission, and we’re allowed only a  limited time to help support your problem.

Medical History

You may have noticed the new Medical History tab on your account page. If you haven’t, check it out. Now you can quickly add medical events with a click of an orange button. With our easy to fill-in categories, your medical history can be ready in minutes. This can be accessed from anywhere online, and it can be shared with anyone you choose.

(more…)

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Saint Mary’s Gives Us A Glimpse

Alex Bettencourt - February 5, 2010

saint marys college of california1 150x150 Saint Marys Gives Us A GlimpseAs a recent graduate of Saint Mary’s College in May of ’09, I remember being so excited this fall to receive my first issue of the SMC magazine.

Pam received her MBA in the 1990’s (I’m not allowed to say exactly when), but I always read her copy or my parents’ if I could get my hands on it.

The prestigious St. Mary’s Magazine is only published four times a year and is always filled with inspirational alumni stories and exciting Gael updates.

My favorite section of the magazine is “Gael Glimpses” because it displays the more personal side of alumni. And, it selectively announces the successful updates of outstanding former Gaels.

After many submissions, guess who finally made the cut in the Winter issue?!  Yours truly; our RememberItNow! team made it into Gael Glimpses. Get the sneak peek here.

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Tips on Becoming an Empowered Patient

Pamela Swingley - January 29, 2010

CNN Health has a complete series of articles on empowered patients. Your health is your responsibility in which you need to take an active part. Throughout the series of articles lessons emerged that can help you become a more empowered patient. We’ve highlighted these lessons below. You can read the entire article here.

1. Don’t believe everything you hear (get a second opinion)
2. Ask a ton of questions
3. If you are going to use the Web, search smart
4. Free and discounted care is out there
5. Paying attention can save your life

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