While working as a management consultant at McKinsey’s, advising large retailers and others on loyalty programs and customer engagement, Hugo Rourke had the bright idea that if he could use the same tricks and tactics to help those with serious, chronic health conditions who had a greater need to engage and comply with treatments, it could be more beneficial for society. He and a mate Scott Taylor created an app that rewards those who must manage chronic illnesses likes diabetes and heart disease on a daily basis. They reward them by better engaging those patients via an app, offering enticements like movie tickets and gift vouchers if aspects of their treatment plans are carried out. But Perx is not just any old health or wellness app. This entrepreneurial duo worked with the University of Sydney to put it to the test by conducting a randomised trial to see if it improves health outcomes, with published results in the British Medical Journal. To date, they’ve not only attracted financial backing from venture capital, but they’ve won over the interest of major health providers and insurers both in Australia and the US. Here’s how they’re building Perx Health.

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