
Henry Ford, The Mannequin T and Digital Well being – The Well being Care Weblog

By Trevor van Mierlo
Most of us know the story of the mannequin T – however what is commonly neglected is the way it applies to different industries, particularly digital well being. Let's go to once more:
Customized automobiles had been constructed within the early 1900s. You’d meet a marketing consultant, design the automobile, place your order and watch for months for supply. After your automobile was delivered, it was troublesome to function. Many house owners employed drivers as a result of automobiles at the moment at the moment, fixed upkeep and a little bit of power necessities (energy steering wouldn’t arrive for many years).
Then the Mannequin T got here in 1908, which led to Ford creating his meeting line in 1913. He acknowledged an issue within the business and noticed a possibility. He noticed the prospect for scale:
- Standardization: 'Any shade, so long as it’s black'
- Mass manufacturing = affordability: The costs fell to $ 300 inside a decade of $ 850 in 1908
- Accessible possession: Everybody might stroll In a Ford supplier and motive highway

From August 2000 there may be a sophisticated digital well being program on the fitting facet of the picture above. I do know well-because I helped construct it. Since then I’ve labored on greater than 100 digital well being interventions. In all probability nearer to 200. Right here is the factor: what's in it has not modified a lot. Behavioral science doesn’t transfer so rapidly (Though my latest work in AI adjustments that).
And sure – digital interventions look higher, are simpler to navigate and coding languages have advanced – however virtually digital well being continues to be constructing tailored automobiles – no mannequin Ts. That’s the reason tens of hundreds of thousands can’t open a browser and get the assistance they want.
What blocks the T -moment mannequin of Digital Well being?
1. Enterprise Gross sales (useless by Pipeline): Most digital well being instruments are bought by Enterprise channels: RFPs, buying departments, tenders, safety assessments and authorized groups. The common gross sales cycle is 6-18 months. That’s tremendous for a $ 5 million contract, however it’s lethal for a $ 50,000 contract. The issue will not be the product – it's the method.
2. The Vanishing champion: I’ve skilled this dozens of occasions and I’ve taken a deep breath to see it unfolding on webinars: a digital well being firm Demost their resolution alongside a buyer champion. Priorities shift. The champion leaves. The reference challenge dies. Most contracts will not be misplaced in advantage – they’re misplaced salesmanship.
3. Costs for well being care ≠ Software program costs: Most affected person -oriented instruments are priced corresponding to providers, no merchandise. That may be a symptom of the autumn of enterprise gross sales. Sellers cost annual prices, no matter use. Clients anticipate Handhold for these customized merchandise. Costs should replicate trendy SaaS fashions, freemium, layered entry, invoicing per consumer.
4. Static merchandise in a dynamic world: Client software program is up to date weekly – typically every day. Digital well being instruments? They launch and retailer then. Suggestions klussen are weak. There isn’t any tradition of iteration and no expectation of steady enchancment.
5. No one has been marketed for the consumer: One of the best designed instruments fail when no person makes use of them. Lack of involvement is a systemic drawbackBut many applications are launched with out onboarding plans, E -mail campaigns and even written content material for Faucet or Instagram. Customers have no idea what the software is, why they’ve gained entry, how they’ve entry to it or the way it suits of their care. That’s not a product drawback – it’s a advertising and marketing error.
We have now to construct the techniques, not simply the software
Henry Ford didn’t invent the automobile, however he was remembered as a result of he has constructed a system. He seemed past the engine, the chassis and the tires. He targeted on standardization” divisionAnd entry.
Digital well being wants the identical factor. At current, too many options are being caught in a loop-up measurement for small populations, bought by enterprise channels, with out a sensible path to scale.
The excellent news? We’re shut by
Cloud infrastructure, AI and behavioral clever platforms are lastly overtaking. We will now personalize on a scale, launch instantly, observe the involvement in actual time and rapidly itteren. However to get there, we’ve to tailor the Mindset conveyor belt. That’s not a compromise in high quality – it’s an obligation to achieve.
- We now not want pilots – we want platforms.
- We now not want tailor -made builds – we want a scale.
Digital well being has no know-how Drawback – it has one Supply drawback.
Till we obtain that, we simply make nicer carriages – whereas the world is ready for his mannequin T.
Dr. Trevor van Mierlo has constructed up psychological well being and affected person help merchandise for greater than 20 years and is the CEO of Evolution Well being