A new study published in the journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) suggests that when teaching hospitals place restrictions on drug reps, doctors tend to use more generics. While conflicts of interest have long existed in healthcare, this research brings new attention to the impact of the relationships between doctors and drug reps.
Read MoreUber’s company structure differs from others in that it treats its drivers as contracted workers rather than employees. While this reduces its labour costs, it means that Uber cannot dictate hours to its workers. Instead, they must employ a series of behavioural tools to get drivers to work when they want them to work.
Read MoreSometimes a well-intended action does not lead to the desired outcome. Consider the Indian government’s efforts to provide toilets to rural villages. The government built the toilets but people did not use them. This is ultimately failure to conduct proper research before implementing a plan.
Check out this video created by the World Bank about improving sanitation conditions in rural India.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffp8HyHQGsU
Read MorePeople do things that are not always in their best interest. Consider smoking, for example. Everyone knows that smoking is bad for you, but many people continue to do it. Why?
Check out this video from the Behavioural Science Guys as they explore why and demonstrate how reframing your approach can lead to unexpected results.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ACi-D5DI6A
Read MoreIs your drug not selling at your ideal level? Wondering how to boost sales? New research suggests that using physician prompts via electronic health records (EHRs) could significantly increase the number of flu vaccinations given.
Read MoreAlthough we have a lot to learn about how our brains process and store memories, we do know that memory is malleable. The brain is a muscle that can be trained. Acronyms and mnemonic devices are tools to improve memory, but new research supports additional methods.
Check out this TEDTalk by Joshua Foer, U.S. World Memory Champion.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6PoUg7jXsA
Read MoreWith the increasing use of electronic systems, doctors are often choosing a drug from a drop-down menu. Have you ever thought about how the position of your drug on this list impacts the rate at which it is prescribed? Rational thinking suggests it makes no difference; however, behaviour science says yes!
Read MoreEffective January 1, every French citizen is now an organ donor by default. This is a reversal of the previous policy of opting-in to become an organ donor. If you do not wish to be an organ donor, you may join the “refusal register” online. So far, only 150,000 people have joined this list out of France’s 66 million citizens. Proponents of this change hope it will increase the number of organ donations, as there are significant shortages in both France and the EU.
Enjoy this short film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyRJWPWkgtY
Read MoreIs this the answer in the battle against junk food as the old adage goes if you can’t beat them join them. Here is a great example of how a health food was re-framed by using the pre-existing assumptions and behaviour adopted in junk food marketing tactics to make the simple carrot fun and exciting.
Read MoreSocial Swipe a creative charity donation billboard that encourages people to donate by making use of instant altruism.
Hamburg-based agency Kolle Rebbe used an interactive donation poster that accepted credit cards with just a swipe and then showed the donors the result of their donation on the spot.
Swiping a credit card triggers an animation sequence that shows just what that simple donation can do to help.
Read MoreHow can you get people with no medical knowledge able to do cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in an emergency? The Stayin’ Alive campaign successfully uses Behaviour Economics to achieve its goal.
'Hands-only CPR Vinnie TVC' shows how simple it is to perform CPR when instructed in an emotionally tangible way using the beat from the Bee Gee's classic song.
Once, when I was suffering a fit of depression, I walked into a supermarket to buy a packet of washing powder. Confronted by a shelf full of different possibilities, I stood there for 15 minutes staring at them, then walked out without buying any washing powder at all. I still feel echoes of that sensation of helplessness. If I just want to buy one item but discover that if I buy three of the items I will save myself half the item price, I find myself assailed by choice paralysis.
Read MoreMany of us are tempted to walk through the red light mostly because we are bored. Understanding this challenge, a clever campaign called 'The Dancing Traffic Light' makes us wait for the green man with enjoyment. Find out how they do that through this link...
Read MoreStopping people to speed is not an easy task. However, The Speed Camera Lottery has an answer for this challenge.
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