WASHINGTON-Information and incentives are necessary to encourage employees to improve their health, according to Robert S. Galvin, M.D., head of equity care at The Blackstone Group.

Galvin, the keynote speaker at the 2011 World Health Care Congress on April 5, pointed out that incentives should be considered a long-term investment, with employers looking for a return on investment as they would with any other investment. This is a trend, he pointed out, that all employers are following, not just the larger ones.

Another trend, Galvin said, involved providing discounts to employees who use networks of high-quality medical providers who don’t charge above-market rates for services. Health plans can be designed to reduce overuse of low-value services as well, he added. Furthermore, he noted, moving employees into plans placing a greater emphasis on quality and affordability needs to be C-suite driven.