The idea for the AZhelps app was born out of understanding and partnership. The sentiment “Health is hard. Help is easy.” showcases a need and a responsibility we have to our customers and our patients: to be there at the critical touch points on an established healthcare continuum along which health gets increasingly difficult.

The app includes features that allow the brand to fulfill its value proposition: SAVE—a mobile savings card; TRACK—medication and refill reminders; and LEARN—healthy tips for high-cholesterol patients and key information related to the brand.

The AZhelps app is a first step toward creating a new type of customer relationship in healthcare. The app is the centerpiece of the AZhelps program, which is designed to allow us to show up in those micro-moments along the healthcare continuum when customers are looking for help the most.

We began with an AZhelps pilot app in September 2015, which consisted of iOS and Android versions of the application, and one participating AstraZeneca brand. The pilot laid the foundation for the fully realized AZhelps app available today.

Launched in April 2016, the latest version of the AZhelps app now supports 16 AstraZeneca brands and includes additional features and performance improvements, such as: better visibility into savings history, notifications when a refill is due and ready to pick up at the pharmacy, and a robust content partnership that delivers useful health articles and information from sources like The New York Times and Mayo Clinic. These new features were validated with AstraZeneca patients through one-on-one interviews and interactive prototypes early in the design process.

AZhelps is available in the App Store and Google Play, and is supported by a website, three social media channels, digital promotion, and salesforce communications.

In its initial six months, the un-promoted AZhelps app pilot saw encouraging results: 10,000 downloads, 30,000 registrations, and almost 15,000 savings card redemptions. We also learned that 71% of the mobile savings card redemptions were same-day downloads, showing significant value to customers and the important role that saving money plays in the lives of our patients.

With the addition of 16 participating AstraZeneca brands and the full support of a multi-channel promotional campaign, the AZhelps app is poised to deliver impressive results throughout 2016.