App offers rewards to patients for taking their medicine on time

Mango Health is a smartphone app that help patients to take their medication at the right time, as well as offer prizes for those who keep to their schedule

We’ve already seen internet-connected pill bottle caps that help patients to take their medication at the right time. Now Mango Health is a smartphone app that aims to do the same, as well as offer prizes for those who keep to their schedule.

Users first enter the names of the drugs they need to take – whether its important medication or nutritional supplements – and their schedule. The app accesses a database and alerts users when the drugs they’ve entered have special requirements, such as diet or zero alcohol consumption. From the dashboard, users can see at a glance which of their medication they need to take that day. Points are awarded each time the user sticks to their schedule, which can later be exchanged for giftcards, discounts and donations at partners such as Gap, Target and the ASPCA.

Available for free on the App Store, Mango Health could improve the health of patients by offering helpful reminders and warnings, while the gamification aspect could ensure that reluctant users are more likely to take their pills. Are there other ways health professionals could harness patient smartphones to ensure they stick to recovery regimes?