Smart Benefits: Mobile Apps + iPads The Key To Wellness Success
Monday, October 14, 2013
Wellness programs are widely offered by employers—and so are incentives to participate in them. In fact, according to a 2013 survey conducted by Fidelity Investments and National Business Group on Health, 90% of employers who offer programs offer incentives. And their amounts have increased significantly: up from $260 in 2009 to $521 in 2013.
But despite the rise in programs and incentives, employee engagement isn’t surging in step. Why? The top issue employers have with wellness programs is how to increase employee engagement—critical to long-term success. And the secret may be technology, or the lack thereof.
Keeping Track
There’s no doubt the wellness industry has matured, moving beyond disease management to an emphasis on preventive care. Today, the key to programs is behavior change, and success is measured with validated data and improved outcomes.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTBut while employers are focused on the numbers, employees are struggling at a much more basic level. They want to know the next steps in their program, how they can get there, and convenient ways to track their progress and incentives. And they want to leverage technology to easily access this information.
A Better Consumer Experience Is Possible
To date, the wellness industry has used fragmented technology tools developed a decade ago, long before the emergence of smart phones and touch screen devices. But while the way consumers communicate has changed, wellness technology has not kept pace. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
According to BioIQ, a modern wellness experience that pairs laptop technology with integrated mobile applications is key to improving the consumer experience by enabling employees to conveniently complete activities such as:
-
Input their scores (sometimes with the help of a nurse) from biometric screening health fairs into an iPad on a real-time basis
-
Access all health assessment results in one place
-
Sign up for digital health coaching through a mobile application and access coaches by phone or online
-
Receive reminders, tips and scheduling prompts from their iPads and mobile apps based on stored biometric screening data
-
Track incentives and next steps for activities
User-Friendly is Wellness-Friendly
The keys to moving wellness engagement to the next level are integrated, easy-to-use applications that create a positive experience for employees, and stay with them anywhere, any time. And the answer employers may looking for may be just the touch of a button away.
Amy Gallagher has over 19 years of healthcare industry experience. As Vice President at Cornerstone Group, she advises large employers on long-term cost-containment strategies, consumer-driven solutions and results-driven wellness programs. Amy speaks regularly on a variety of healthcare-related topics, is a member of local organizations like the Rhode Island Business Group on Health, HRM-RI, SHRM, WELCOA, and the Rhode Island Business Healthcare Advisory Council, and participates in the Lieutenant Governor’s Health Benefits Exchange work group of the Health Care Reform Commission.
Related Articles
- Smart Benefits: Employers Are Tangled Up in Healthcare Reform
- Smart Benefits: How 3 New RI Laws Will Affect Employers
- Smart Benefits: RI Exchange Leads Way With Focus On Small Business
- Smart Benefits: Employers Who Ignore Obamacare Will Pay
- Smart Benefits: Insurers File 1st Round of Rate Increase Requests
- Smart Benefits: Small Employers—RI Exchange Or Private Plan?
- Smart Benefits: Enrollment in Health Exchanges Not So Simple
- Smart Benefits: MA’s Tax Breaks For Wellness Sets a Good Example
- Smart Benefits: Switching to HSAs May Reduce Healthcare Spending
- Smart Benefits: Expect Double-Digit Health Insurance Hikes in 2014
- Smart Benefits: More Rate Hikes For 2014
- Smart Benefits: Taxpayers Could Get Stung By Local Healthcare Cost
- Smart Benefits: 3 Ways Obamacare Hurts Employees
- Smart Benefits: Gay Marriage Ruling + Employer Compliance
- Smart Benefits: New Healthcare Reform Fee Means Higher Premiums
- Smart Benefits: Will HealthSource RI Meet Enrollment Expectations?
- Smart Benefits: 5 Health Benefit Cost-Cutting Trends To Watch In 2014
- Smart Benefits: HSA Contribution Limits Rise For 2014
- Smart Benefits: Obamacare Delay Helps Employers Prepare
- Smart Benefits: Be Prepared For Fall Open Enrollment Changes
- Smart Benefits: Healthcare Reform Delays Hit Consumers Hard
- Smart Benefits: Obamacare Mandates: What Is And Isn’t Delayed
- Smart Benefits: Employer Exchange Model Notice Released Early
- Smart Benefits: Healthcare Reform—Big Rewards for Wellness in ‘14
- Smart Benefits: RI Cracks Down on Health Insurer Rating Practices