— Hilary Stein, Strategic Account Executive, BioIQ —
I recently traveled to the windy city to attend the annual HERO Forum, which brings together thought leaders and employers from around the country who are interested in influencing and learning about wellness trends. When I wasn’t participating in a HERO-sponsored morning fitness session or afternoon run, I had the chance to attend a number of education sessions led by some of our industry’s top influencers.
Not surprisingly, one of the prevailing themes this year was engagement. The classic question of “How do I increase my program engagement?” echoed throughout each Q&A and popped up on more presentation slides than I could count. While recommendations around incentives, gamification, communication, and personalization all received honorable mention, what really struck a chord was the importance of understanding your data.
Each year employers launch well-intentioned wellness programs with the goal of increasing engagement from the previous year. To do this successfully they must realize that their employee populations are continually evolving, and thus people’s needs and preferences are constantly changing.
Here’s the good news: Complex and costly analytics tools are no longer needed to determine which biometric screening modalities are most popular. BioIQ clients have access to this information right at their fingertips. We offer a number of user-friendly, customizable resources that allow employers to analyze population data in real time. A glance at the BioIQ program management dashboard reveals which biometric screening modalities are most utilized, which on-site screening event times are most popular, which health risks are most prevalent, and many other pertinent metrics.
As I left a session titled Using Data to Manage the Health of a Population, a light bulb snapped on in my head. Data isn’t a trend or a fad. It is a necessity for crafting a successful wellness program and determining which screening modalities make sense as the population changes and evolves. It’s also essential to utilize a HIPAA-compliant data hub that enforces rigorous healthcare standards to manage, structure, integrate, and secure all healthcare data.
For administrators who care about boosting engagement and verifying ROI, data is here to stay. Take a look at this white paper, “Five Ways to Connect, Measure, and Achieve Population Health” if you would like to learn how you can increase year-over-year engagement within your wellness program. The paper was a hit at the HERO conference, and I’m sure it will make waves at your company as well.
Hilary
