How product acceptance can be a challenge in the health care sector: Anu Acharya, CEO, MapMyGenome

In 2000, Anu Acharya embarked her entrepreneurial journey and founded Mapmygenome in 2011 to promote 'better health for Indians using technology'. The concept was to inculcate a healthier life by analysing an individuals genetic report and health history and combining it with genetic councelling.

However, given that they were one of the earliest to get this concept out in the market and explore the space, they faced a number of challenges and obstacles in creating awareness among the consumers and encourage them to think differently.

Hear Anu Acharya speak on the challenges and the ways in which they overcame the problem of product acceptance in the health care sector:

These are the key takeaways from the video:

• One of the biggest challenges was to change the mind set of the people. They were living with the superstition that knowing about the disease will result in them having it, so better still not know of it. To reason it out with them that the true value is in knowing before and preventing it so it can be diagnosed early was tough for them.
• On the price point, it is still fairly high for an Indian consumer to take these testes without feeling the pinch in the pocket. Hence, they have introduced smaller panels which is affordable for an average consumer.
• The inability to spread rapidly enough mainly due the common perception that this product isn't reliable was another major obstacle which they faced. As a result, they tried to inculcate acceptance on the part of physicians and hospitals who have today started providing their product. This step was of utmost importance because they knew that if once it becomes mainstream, once it becomes a part of people’s lifestyle system, then it becomes a part of their regular medical activity.

Related read: The full story of Mapmygenome

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