Source: The State of Digital Health report by Castlight Health. Note: EAP= employee assistance program which could include counseling and referrals for personal and work-related problems.
Employer wellness programs are widely used but the reviews of them vary from those convinced they don’t actually save employers money to those who say it helps them towards their health goals. Although it would have been great if Castlight Health’s report had zeroed in on the return on investment question that bedevils this segment, the survey does raise some interesting questions. Two, in particular, are: What types of digital health tools have employers adopted for their employer wellness programs and which ones resonate with employees?
The study surveyed more than 300 “benefits leaders” and 1,000 employees from large companies with more than 1,000 employees. Interestingly, the majority of employees taking part were aged 55-64 (30 percent) and had income of more than $100,000 (40 percent).
The most popular health goals that employees identified were weight loss (45 percent) saving for retirement (30 percent), sleeping better (27 percent) and reducing stress (26 percent). Despite the age differences of those surveyed, weight loss was a priority that transcended age group. But in practice, the picture looks a bit different. Although saving for retirement was the employer wellness programs most frequently used by employees (51 percent) the second most frequently used was price comparison (39 percent) followed by support from a private counselor (32 percent), accessing a health coach (31 percent), and accessing healthcare remotely on the phone (29 percent).
Interestingly, the survey also noted more than 50 percent of employees identified programs they would be willing to pay for on a monthly basis. Smoking cessation dominated (67 percent), but helping an employee’s child lose weight (64 percent) and planning a healthy pregnancy (62 percent) were also priorities.
Source: The State of Digital Health report by Castlight Health
The most widely implemented solutions included some form of counseling, described as employee assistance programs (EAP), smoking cessation, health risk assessment and disease management. But the report noted that these programs score poorly with employees and raise questions about the business case for these programs. One reason EAP and other programs score low could be that employees aren’t aware that they’re available or that the way they are structured or marketed doesn’t appeal to staff. In the case of EAP, it could be due to a perception by employees that it’s a bad idea to tap counseling services with one’s company because it could jeopardize their future with the business.
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
The report also identified the sweet spot where employee and employer interests converge. Programs addressing weight loss, sleeping better and improving financial wellness were popular among employees and also in the interest of employers towards fulfilling their health and wellness goals.
Featured image: kentoh, Getty Images
