What if you could make it easier for more than 60% of your workforce to manage their health all year round? This empowerment would have a significant impact on their health and your bottom line, especially since 6 in 10 U.S. adults have a chronic condition such as diabetes or heart disease — and 4 in 10 have two or more, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
While every person has a different path to whole health, everyday access to digital healthcare through apps like SydneySM Health are key to helping employees more easily prevent and manage health issues — or catch them earlier, when they’re easier to treat.
Employers Reap The Benefits Of Improved Employee Health
Preventable chronic conditions are a major contributor to the costs of health insurance premiums and employee medical claims. Johns Hopkins Medicine estimates these conditions cost employers $198 billion per year due to absenteeism and reduced productivity.
Untreated mental health conditions also impact productivity, with the American Psychological Association estimating the cost of depression alone at more than $210 billion a year. The good news is, employers who support mental health in the workplace could see a return of $4 for every dollar they invest.
By encouraging year-round healthy behaviors, preventive care, and condition management, 24/7 digital enablement can lead to fewer sick days, lower costs, and reduced healthcare spending for both employers and their employees. Employers who opt to include access to virtual primary care can even see additional benefits. A study from The Harris Poll found that 79% of people who have used virtual primary care agree it allowed them to take charge of their health.
Supporting Employee Health All The Time
Convenient access and the right level of support helps employees manage their physical and mental well-being every day — not just when a health concern arises. Providing employees with integrated benefits and fostering a culture of well-being can save up to $6 per member per month, delivering up to 2.5x return on investment.
Digital resources are one of the most impactful ways to engage employees in their health. A report from McKinsey & Company noted that more than 60% of adults expect to be able to change or schedule a healthcare appointment, check medical records and test results, and renew a medication online.
Guided by one of the industry's largest data sets and artificial intelligence (AI), the Sydney Health app supports employees 24/7 with predictive, proactive, and personalized recommendations that encourage medication adherence, increased movement, and healthier eating through a nutrition tracker. Sydney also provides condition-specific support.
More Benefits Of Digitally Enabled Healthcare
A patient access report from Kyruus proves that digital channels are meeting consumer needs and expectations for convenient access to accurate, consistent information, seamless experiences, and self-service digital tools.
- Improved Access To Care. Text chats and video visits enable employees to get medical and mental healthcare with timeliness and convenience. Using an app like Sydney Health, employees can connect directly to a doctor for annual wellness exams or for preventive, acute, and urgent care 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. They can also talk with a licensed mental health professional by appointment — all from the privacy of home.
- Enhanced Care Delivery. Connected care enabled by real-time data sharing ensures that an employee’s doctors, therapists, and pharmacists all have access to the most up-to-date information in a single health record. Moreover, data-driven insights illuminate gaps in care, anticipate needs, and suggest precise treatment paths. This connected data breaks down silos in a meaningful way to deliver whole-person care.
- Higher Engagement In Personal Health. Targeted and personalized communications through the Sydney app encourage employees to take charge of their own health needs. They can quickly access on-demand well-being support, track exercise, build an action plan, or use the nutrition tracker and share that data with their doctor.
Digital enablement — including technology, data, and machine learning through AI — has the power to make healthcare simpler, more effective, more personalized, and less costly every day of the year, not just when a health issue arises. Providing integrated digital healthcare resources allows employees to feel confident in their care, stay engaged with their everyday health needs, and attain the best health outcomes possible, all while lowering the overall cost of healthcare for themselves and their employer.
Sydney Health is offered through an arrangement with Carelon Digital Platforms, a separate company offering mobile application services on behalf of your health plan. ©2020-2022
The Virtual Primary Care experience is offered through an arrangement with Hydrogen Health.