I’m an orthopedic doctor who sees many patients for back pain. Oftentimes, they carry heavy backpacks or purses, which make the problem even worse. I’m thinking about designing a doctor-recommended backpack: designed to more evenly distribute weight and release tension from areas of the back that are weaker to areas that are more strong. Would you be interested in purchasing something like this? Are you a product or industrial designer/engineer who could partner with me on this?
Interesting idea. I recommend reaching out to healthcare insurers down the line to see if they might be able to cover this product (maybe with a provider prescription) for subscribers. I could see a lot of people not prioritizing their health until they feel like it’s “subsidized” or “free” because it’s covered by insurance. Best of luck!
Great idea. I will definitely look into partnerships and see what I could do from a marketing standpoint as well.
Hi Danielstevens,
I completely agree with Henrycathan. I wonder if you could partner with an insurance that already incentivizes healthier living and compensates people for their good behavior. I am thinking of the Silver Sneakers program at Humana, for example– https://www.humana.com/manage-your-health/achieving-health-goals/silversneakers.
I hope this is helpful.
Weston
I have a similar kind of backpack I use for hiking and outdoor trips that redistributes weight through straps around my mid-section and back. I don’t know if something “doctor-recommended” would mean so much to me, I more look for reviews and ratings online. If it’s a high-quality product at a good price point, the reviews and ratings will help drive that interest.
Agreed. You may want to partner with someone with hiking gear manufacturing experience, now that I think of it. This product could probably use some of the best practices/designs from hiking backpacks, which are built to withstand longer periods of carry while supporting your back.
Thank you both for the feedback. It would be interesting to partner with outdoor apparel manufacturers who can contribute some best practices to advise me. I will be looking more into partnership opportunities, both from the design standpoint and from the cost-sharing standpoint. Hopefully, partnering with insurers can help ease the price point as well.
Okay, just a thought: what if you debut this within the medical field? I’m a nurse, and I’m always on my feet. I love the idea of anything that’s comfortable, practical, and not like ridiculously ugly. If you could get nurses on board with this backpack, you’d have a huge following.