Making my heart beat faster: Walmart heath assessment kiosks
Of all the reasons to go to my local Walmart, getting my blood-pressure checked is not one of them. That will no doubt change in the future as Walmart looks to take the one-stop-shopping concept to the next level by placing “health assessment” kiosks in its myriad chain of super-department stores.
Patrons will not only be able to get their blood pressure checked but they can get biometric measurements of their weight, BMI and pulse. An on-screen questionnaire will cover every aspect of overall wellness in order to provide a holistic health profile of the individual, along with simple, personalized health advice.
The health assessment kiosks come with good intentions but make no mistake about the service: the individual healthcare overview is provided by InComm and Pursuant Health who, along with other participating healthcare sponsors, are hoping you will take them up on their low-cost health care plans.
Health promotion with a purpose
And if getting an overall health-assessment while shopping for multi-grain bagels at Walmart isn’t enough of a hook for you, you’ll be happy to know there are gift cards and/or other rewards you can take advantage of.
Health plans participating in the program can offer a call to action to their members in the form of a tailored rewards card, which will be activated at the Pursuant Health kiosk on completion of the health questionnaire and biometric assessment. Once completed, the card will immediately be funded with reward dollars that can be spent in-store on healthy items. The reward and the items can be restricted by the employer and health plan to the individual product or SKU (stock keeping unit).
According to Walmart’s Alex Hurd, Senior director of Product Development, Growth, Payer innovation, Health and Wellness, “One of our goals at Walmart is to be the number one provider of affordable health care. We are always looking for solutions that drive down costs and improve the lives of our customers. Combining the Pursuant kiosks with a targeted wellness rewards program is a natural fit for our retail strategy.”
If this isn’t the age of innovation I don’t know what is. Hurd points out that the health questionnaire and assessment take only minutes to complete and the information furnished will then be sent back to the health plan or healthcare provider for next steps and proactively address any issues the HRA may have raised.
A perfect match?
Walmart feels that the health assessment kiosks represent a perfect synergy between the store’s retail goals and healthcare. And why not? A snapshot of your health on the way in may impact your shopping needs before you check out.
