While BCBS is certainly a trusted brand, they are not a top of mind health resource as Medicare members think about maintaining their health as they age. Our objective was to establish ourselves as go-to resource to provide added value to our members. By using our Fearless Nation on-line video platform, which is centered around small steps to improve your health, we knew we could deliver this important message in an approachable way that would open people’s eyes to the importance of getting an annual wellness visit.

It’s a startling but true statistic—80 percent of Medicare patients don’t see their doctor for an annual check-up. Meaning many Americans are missing early warning signs that could make a big difference in their health.

So, we did something bold: creating a new piece of technology that brought awareness of the importance of a doctor’s visit, to the patient.

To successfully engage with our Medicare audience, we created a new type of shopping cart— one that also measures health. Through a powerful blend of biometric devices, UX and tech, the cart delivers health data like heart rate, steps taken, blood oxygen level, and more in real time to the user.

Then, we unleashed our new cart upon unsuspecting shoppers at a normal grocery store, capturing their surprise and delight for engaging content. All driving awareness for the importance of Medicare members to take advantage of their Annual Wellness visit.

There’s one thing to tell people a stat, but it’s a lot more impactful to show them. We used the power of a consumers’ own data to create awareness on the importance of getting your annual wellness visit. Our target audience was all Medicare members, but specifically those that are proactive about their health. This group consists mainly of 65+ Baby Boomers who have always lived life fearlessly – and, as they age, intend to continue doing so. They’re the first generation to really reckon with a much longer lifespan, and like everything else, they’re taking it head on. We knew we needed to engage them and give this important information in a surprising way.

The project itself was ambitious – combine existing medical technology, while developing a new digital interface - with a grocery cart - to produce an experience with accurate readings in real time. All that was built, developed, tested, and deployed into a consumer experience in four weeks.

Our experience included a fast-track exploration and test of red and infrared technology already in market, disassembled and reassembled into a custom-designed grocery cart display using 3D printing.

Simultaneously, the team designed and developed our software interface to display real time stats. By integrating red light sensor technology in the handlebar encasement, consumers natural grip on the grocery cart triggered readouts of pulse, blood oxygen, and body temperature onto the display screen.

All of the above was accomplished while still adhering to HIPPA guidelines of healthcare privacy, and supported by peer-reviewed research sources to assure an accurate consumer experience.

At the end of every interaction with the cart and brand, we did an interview with the Medicare member. Every person we interviewed learned something new, and left knowing the importance of going to see their doctor. And with 14 Blue Cross Blue Shield Plans pushing out the content, the goal is to measure the impact on annual wellness visits in 2019.