The ability to identify who is, or is not, engaging with a certain program — and why — gives organizations the power to build programs around their employees' real-life needs. Questions commonly asked of our data analytics teams include:

How often are employees using our wellness or chronic condition management programs?
Have those programs yielded positive health outcomes?
Are there other health gaps that we should be addressing instead?

Case studies: What employers are learning

A few case studies illustrate how data is impacting employer healthcare decision-making:

In the first case study, an organization has a high prevalence of hypertension. It offers a diet and nutrition program with an app that allows for personalized nutritionist consults, meal plans and more. The organization then tracks the utilization of specific app features and sees strong adoption. Their pharmacy claims show a decline in the average number of hypertension medications prescribed to each member in the group with high adoption compared to non-engaged members with hypertension. This is tangible evidence that the diet and nutrition benefit is improving health outcomes for this group.
All programs offer something and will benefit some people in an organization. The question is often whether the magnitude of the benefit derived is enough to offset the cost of the program itself. This in turn drives decisions around expanding or discontinuing a solution.

In the second case study, one large employer offered two separate wellness programs that promoted a healthy lifestyle with diet and exercise goals. However, one focused more on the exercise component while the other concentrated on healthy and mindful eating. When they tried to assess the effectiveness of both (to determine if one added more value than the other overall), the data showed a very interesting and unique pattern. Adoption and engagement in the two solutions differed along racial, ethnic and income lines. Different populations engaged with these solutions likely for reasons outside of health status. As a result, the company decided to retain both programs since they obviously were essential to varied groups.

Mental wellbeing is now universally being recognized as a critical part of overall health. Organizations are evaluating impact of mental health solutions on their employees' medical co-morbid conditions.

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Cumulative sticker shock triggers meaningful health benefits analysis

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