Product Inspiration: A Sheet of Paper and Bad Odds
The genesis for WEconnect’s mobile product design came from my personal experience as a recovering addict. I went to inpatient treatment for 28 days. The only thing I received at the end was a sheet of paper that “told me” how to stay sober.
If all we get is a sheet of paper, it’s no wonder the relapse rate is over 80 percent. Furthermore, 10 out of 100 of addicts ever receive in-patient services. Only two of those who attend will stay sober. These are very bad odds, considering that addiction is the largest public health epidemic of our time.
To get started, we interviewed 200 people in recovery and looked at clinical research to build the very first patient-facing app to help people in recovery. We set out to create an interactive solution to provide addicts with a roadmap to recovery.
Our mobile product design team looked at every aspect of the app environment to ensure that it met our customer’s needs. Furthermore, we set out to provide a personalized plan and access to community resources. To connect with our audience, we looked at digital healthcare studies to select the optimal color palette.
The app’s most important function is tracking users to ensure that they are staying on the road to recovery. As a result, the app uses location services to confirm if a patient has attended their rehab activities. In addition, this feature allows family members or clinicians to intervene quickly if a patient is close to relapsing.
From my own experience, recovering addicts deserve better than a sheet of paper. The success of WEconnect is directly tied to the input of those who understand what is required to get through recovery.
About the speaker
Daniela Luzi Tudor is the CEO of WEconnect, a digital health app for recovering addicts that creates a roadmap for treatment and access to community resources. Prior to starting WEconnect, Daniela founded several startups and consulted with leading tech companies - including Microsoft and Union Bank.
About the host
Anne Retterer is the Founder and CEO of Mindspand - an online community that enables organizations to list course offerings and provide access to services for local customers. Prior to starting Mindspand, Anne managed the product portfolio at Expedia and established an investment fund for tech companies in Chile with Hambrecht & Quest (now JPMorgan Chase & Co.). Anne holds an MBA from UC Davis and currently lives in Seattle.