Using pill bottles to nudge adherence
A “nudge,” as described by Nobel Prize winner Richard Thaler, is a small change that makes it more likely people will choose a certain option—often without even thinking about it. Nudges are simple, don’t take away choices, and can lead to big shifts in behavior. By tweaking the way choices are presented—like putting healthier food at eye level in a cafeteria or adding a calendar window to a pill bottle cap—nudges make the better option the easier one. They work because people naturally prefer what feels simple and familiar, helping guide healthier habits without limiting freedom.
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Organ Donation (Opt-Out Systems)
Organ donation saves lives, but availability is often limited. Austria tackled this with a simple nudge: everyone is automatically a donor unless they opt out. As a result, 99% consent. In Germany, where people must opt in, the rate is just 12%.
Calorie Transparency in Menus
Posting calorie counts on restaurant menus nudges diners toward healthier decisions. Research shows this small change cuts average calorie intake by 5–10%.
Hand Hygiene in Hospitals
Putting hand sanitizer in high-traffic spots with signs like “Clean your hands—stop infections!” boosted healthcare worker compliance by more than 40%.
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Simplified Packaging
Prepackaged pill organizers labeled by day and time (morning, evening) nudge patients to stay on track, improving adherence by 5–25% across studies.
Reminder Systems
Digital reminders like texts or app notifications prompt patients to take meds on time—for example, “It’s 8 PM—time for your blood pressure pill.”
Default Refills
Automatic pharmacy refills with pickup reminders help prevent missed doses by reducing delays in reordering prescriptions.
At Chicago’s most dangerous curve—Lake Shore Drive and Oak Street—speed limits and fines weren’t working. So the city tried nudging instead: painting white lines that gradually moved closer together, creating the illusion of speeding up. Drivers instinctively slowed down, and crashes dropped 36% in six months.
A simple paint job that reduced car crashes by 36%
At Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, messy restrooms were a constant problem. Signs and reminders weren’t working, so the airport tried a simple nudge: etching a small image of a fly inside each urinal. The fly gave men something to aim at, subtly guiding behavior without instructions or rules. The result? Spillage dropped by 80%, and cleaning costs fell by 8%.
A little fly etched in the urinal reduced “spillage” by 80%
At a Guangzhou metro station, stairs were turned into piano keys, each step playing a note. This nudge made taking the stairs fun instead of routine, leading many more commuters to choose stairs over the escalator.
