Business Issue
Corporations now focus on finding new ways to optimize employee health management, in order to compete effectively, promote workplace wellness, and engage their employees.
The way to this optimal management may be right in their hands — literally.
That’s because employees, including plan members, are increasingly avid technology users; their mobile devices — including smartphones and tablets — have become an integral part of their personal and professional lives. Companies can now provide convenient technology to help plan members easily avoid illness and manage their health concerns on devices they keep on hand.
User experience is paramount
The pervasiveness of consumer technology means that companies in all sectors must adapt to survive. As technology giants such as Amazon, Apple, and Google set new standards for exceptional customer experience, employees have come to expect, demand, and use seamless digital service for all their needs, including health care and insurance. As such, a user-friendly, mobile customer experience can improve customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Mobile is a competitive necessity
Offering mobile communications has evolved into a business imperative. According to a 2015 article in Catalyst, Canadians’ mobile usage grew a staggering 24% between 2014 and 2015, demonstrating that “[m]obile technology has completely permeated the lives of Canadians. With 68% smartphone penetration, mobile is no longer an option but a necessity. All forms of content should be mobile-optimized”.
Mobile health management
Mobile technology has become ubiquitous in health management. Apps for emerging telemedicine services such as Akira and MyeVisit—which provide online access to health care practitioners—and wearables such as Fitbit are examples of this technology. Mobile health management is particularly important in such a geographically vast country as Canada, where individuals in remote, rural municipalities often have greater challenges receiving prompt health answers and services.
Now there’s a huge opportunity for plan sponsors to capitalize on this shift to mobile health management, particularly to engage ever-connected, highly mobile millennial employees. Mobile communications offer a more relevant way to personally connect with plan members of all ages.
Canadians seek relevant, convenient health communications
Employees are increasingly embracing mobile technologies, yet Sanofi Canada’s recent 2016 survey found that companies’ wellness programs may not be in step with this trend. Employees are simply not aware of health management programs, as these programs are offered in fragmented silos and “Communication is clearly an issue [regarding workplace wellness programs]”. The Sanofi 2016 survey also found that plan sponsors “can focus on strategies for communication and engagement … but need more guidance and practical tools from service providers”. Responsive messaging allows companies to offer employees convenient, online access to health services via telephone or text messaging, which may increase the likelihood that plan members will engage in health services.
The Next Step
To attract and engage plan members, plan sponsors need to keep up with cross-sector service trends by embracing mobile health technology. Responsive health navigation solutions can engage increasingly mobile plan members and support successful health management now and in the future.
All-in-one health navigation
Employees find it challenging to navigate the Canadian health care system on their own, or even remain up-to-date with the many resources available to them through their health plan. That’s because these programs are often offered in fragmented silos, with separate offerings for occupational health, disability management, and wellness. By contrast, an integrated health navigation platform gives users a single, unified offering of all their health management resources, so employees can easily access all their offerings from the same source.
Seamless integration
An integrated health navigation platform allows plan members to find reliable health information on the diverse services available through your program, quickly and easily. Responsive health navigation, with its enticing visual content that encourages learning, makes it easier and faster to discover the services that are most appropriate for a member’s unique needs.
Accommodating members’ communication needs
Responsive design allows plan members to access your health navigation platform from their computer, tablet, or smartphone. It also provides a consistent brand look and feel, and online user experience, regardless of the device used. A responsive health navigation system puts the individual plan member’s needs first for a relevant and user-centric health management experience.
Additional advantages of responsive design for health navigation platform include:
- Engagement: Responsive design strategically presents your offerings, including customer service, risk control, and even sales, on the devices where plan members are already spending their time. It also boosts plan members’ awareness and their use of your well-designed health programs.The visual content of responsive design helps users easily discover the health services that are most appropriate for their needs and encourages them to actually use these services.
- Convenience: Responsive design also helps to deliver the right resources at the right time. Plan members gain 24/7 service they can access from anywhere. The simplicity of responsive design saves members time and helps them to avoid the hassle of using a desktop computer to seek help for their health issues.
- Efficiency: Responsive design helps plan members access trusted, reliable information and services quickly for immediate answers to their health concerns.
- Cost containment: Responsive design proactively engages more employees in health management services, reducing overall health costs and boosting profitability by way of healthy, productive workers.
- Reflecting “the new normal”: Users crave the simplicity and ease of seamless omnichannel (online, mobile, and offline) communications, and businesses in all sectors are adapting to these expectations by providing user-friendly technology and communications.
Keep up with essential technology
To remain relevant and competitive, and to increase engagement among plan members, consider embracing a responsive design for an integrated health navigation platform. Our proven team of experts at Novus Health can help you find the right solutions to engage your plan members and to keep your costs down. Unlike other providers, we keep our health management data secure in Canada. To learn more, visit www.novushealth.com.
Take the Next Step
Novus Health can help plan members who struggle to navigate the complex health care system. We’re a passionate team of technology and business experts and health care professionals. Our integrated health navigation solutions direct people to resources based on their needs and eligibility. As well, we help clients to manage costs and to meet their health management goals while also helping members to live healthier lives. To learn how we can help you, connect with us today at www.novushealth.com or 1-416-640-7867.
Read more about how we are changing the industry.
Works Cited
Catalyst. (2015). With Growth Comes Change: The Evolving Mobile Landscape in 2015. Retrieved from http://catalyst.ca/2015-canadian-smartphone-market/
Kambli, Vik. (2016, June 1). Future-Proof Your Customer Experience Against Inevitable Innovation. Retrieved from https://www.mobify.com/insights/future-proof-customer-experience-against-innovation/
O’Gorman, L. D., Hogenbirk, J. C., & Warry, W. (2016). Clinical Telemedicine Utilization in Ontario over the Ontario Telemedicine Network. Telemedicine Journal and E-Health. 22(6): 473-479. http://doi.org/10.1089/tmj.2015.0166
Sanofi S.A. (2016). The Sanofi Canada Healthcare Survey. Retrieved from http://events.snwebcastcenter.com/manulife/GBRS/Prod/Media/PDFs/Health/SanofiReport.pdf
