April M. Morton

Hi Janice,

I agree that I sometimes feel overwhelmed with the number of apps I have on my phone. However, I would happily download my local pharmacy app. From Rite Aid’s perspective, it sounds like a great call to action to offer limited vouchers using a mobile number and gently push the user to download the app to avail following coupon, and voila it worked in your use case.
Walgreens is my pharmacy/convenience store, and I remember never being able to use their print coupon for little reasons like accidentally leaving the coupon in the car or other handbag; however, their digital coupons are designed much more relaxed, and I finally can use them, and save some money.
I believe apps are not helpful in many cases but are a great option if the user at least visits the store/e-shop once a month.
For me RiteAid or Walgreens app is a yes!

Hi Janice,

I completely know the feeling. I was at Whole Foods yesterday scrambling to pull up my Amazon discount code and panicked in the self checkout line that I needed to download the separate Whole Foods app. This is a very interesting topic, as we all have so many apps on our phones and are constantly downloading more. I remember when I got my first iPhone and it barely had any storage. Now, I find myself buying the iPhone with the most storage to avoid having to pay the monthly iCloud fee to store all of my photos and videos (which is a whole other issue how many photos I currently have stored on my phone….). Apps used to be a way for us to download content that we love, and now they’ve just become a necessity for basic purchases and discounts. I remember getting the Bed Bath & Beyond coupons in the mail and bringing them into the store. I also used to type in my phone number at Rite Aid to get a special discount. Unfortunately though, I think we have to accept that this is now the norm and in order to reap the benefits we used to get more easily, apps on apps on apps is just a part of life. I guess a virtual discount is better than nothing, right? In the meantime, I’m due for an iPhone upgrade and will certainly need the one with the most storage.

Hi Janice,

To answer your question, I do not feel overwhelmed with apps. I am the type of person who likes to find the more quickest and most convenient way to do things. Having multiple apps on my phone where I can oder stuff and just go to the store and curbside pickup is my favorite thing to do. I think this should of started years ago.

We as humans now have an overwhelmingly amount of applications o our phones. Most of which probably are downloaded once and never used again. I for one know I have a myriad of applications on my phone that I don’t even, and have never used. The thought of having to download another app sickens me, but I think I may be a little stubborn on this at times. I was incredibly reluctant to use apple pay on my iPhone but was forced to after losing my wallet at a club. However, after the first day I was hooked on it and actually prefer not having to bring my wallet with me where I go. Ultimately, I believe I just needed the push to do so, and only then can I understand the real benefits of doin so. One could think that no more do they need paper receipts, or coupons, or anything one would need for a rite aid. While the application might be bothersome in the moment, I often find that some do more good than bad on my pohone!

Admittedly, I am overwhelmed by apps! To Henry’s point, I typically download to receive some type of discount / incentive, and then never use again. The only apps that I truly enjoying using are airline apps for travel. I’m a less is more person when it comes to traveling and I enjoy having everything at my fingertips with the click of a button, especially if it could potentially result in avoiding lines. While it appears like a minor inconvenience, I would be frustrated by this change because companies should be making these processes more seamless, accessible and convenient for their customers.

Hey Janice!
I totally understand how you’re feeling – I only want to download apps I want, not apps that I’m forced to use to reap benefits I already had. I would be so annoyed if I needed to download a grocery store app to unlock member-only prices. Ever since Apple started kind of “undownloading” apps on your behalf, I stopped being overwhelmed by the number of apps I have/use. I have a handful of apps I use often enough, and it’s not too bad waiting for other apps to re-download if I haven’t used it in a while. Overall, companies are always looking to expand technologically, and while it is important to do so, I think there always needs to be an alternative available for those who don’t have the technology, don’t want to use it, or can’t use it. I don’t have the Rite-aid app, but for example, how accessible is it? Sometimes companies lose focus on these facets of mobile integration, so its best to keep the original way too just as an alternative. Great post!

Great read, Janice! Fortunately, my first time calling the ticket office for Phils tickets I was able to get through on the first try, 4 tickets, transaction completed in 7 minutes total. When I tried back on Tuesday and Wednesday, it wasn’t so easy. I believe I totaled more than 800 dials collectively between the two days and still failed miserably to secure anything. Luck of the draw, I suppose. I also tried tirelessly to secure Swifty tickets for my daughter’s first concert experience and, well, that too was an epic fail but it made me laugh thinking of the purchasing process for my 1st concert 20+ years ago which was… Hanson. Yes, yes… Mmm Bop. My angelic mom agreed to sleep outside in line overnight with me before they went on sale at the box office. No pre-sale code, no virtual waiting room. It was a beautiful thing!

Personal Health Records (PHR) were the “next big thing” when I worked on a major health insurer a decade ago. Needless to say, reality took a bit longer to catch up to the promise.

I hear you on the concern about health data being stored online. It’s certainly uncomfortable in some aspects. That said, PII (personally identifiable information) brings with it a host of regulation and severe penalties for violation. Working with many health systems, I can tell you confidently that most will not let anyone come anywhere near their operational data.

The idea here was to democratize your health. Improving the UX by minimizing time on site is part of it, but the bigger idea was that it should empower you to seek better care as its easier to transfer a file “between” patient portals than transferring a physical file between offices.

Has anyone had experience moving their records between providers? Having a hospital access their primary’s records more easily?

Please do not share too much personal details. Mainly curious to hear of digitizing data has improved your experience.

I loved reading you post Janice. I am a big person for virtual appointments and health portals. I think in todays day in age with the world being full of technology, I don’t think that this is ever going away. I really think that is all depends on how you look at technology and how you approach it. You could love the idea of patient portals or you could hate it and I it is all preference and the way you approach it.

Hi Janice, great post.
After reading your article I think that for me, I personally really enjoy the ability to have all this information at my fingertips since when it comes to medical information, I am pretty useless. I bring this up because I am blessed to have a mother who is a nurse is understands all this medical information.
As I have gotten older and with COVID having my mom come to the doctors with me had become less frequent than when I was younger. Sharing this information with my mom has made it easier for her to help me understand what medicine I’m provided, what side effects to look for, and having someone in my corner to stand up for me even though I could share this information without using the portal before its a lot easier to have everything in one digital location that has everything written down (so I don’t mispronounce any medication names) and kept on file.

Hi Janice,

I think you offer valid concerns about how this new technology could add an additional barrier for older patients who likely need the most care. When I read your post, I thought about my grandfather who answers every single call that he gets from Maryland just in case it’s me because he doesn’t know how to save my number (I promise I’ll show him how to do it next time I visit. I always forget). I’m certain filling out information online would be much more of a hassle for him that just going in and filling out written paper work. However, for Millennials and Gen Z, this is a God send. I don’t miss filling out written paperwork and I think the pandemic definitely expanded the use of online portals. I love that we’re using less paper, i.e. saving trees. I think it’s easily to forget about the data security component. I certainly wouldn’t want information about my health getting into the wrong hands but in my opinion, less hassle is worth the risk.

Hi Janice,

I think you offer valid concerns about how this new technology could add an additional barrier for older patients who likely need the most care. When I read your post, I thought about my grandfather who answers every single call that he gets from Maryland just in case it’s me because he doesn’t know how to save my number (I promise I’ll show him how to do it next time I visit. I always forget). I’m certain filling out information online would be much more of a hassle for him that just going in and filling out written paper work. However, for Millennials and Gen Z, this is a God send. I don’t miss filling out written paperwork and I think the pandemic definitely expanded the use of online portals. I love that we’re using less paper, i.e. saving trees. I think it’s easily to forget about the data security component. I certainly wouldn’t want information about my health getting into the wrong hands but in my opinion, less hassle is worth the risk.