The issues have been framed brilliantly, debated enthusiastically and examined closely. While it might not resemble the California
Gold Rush, employers that implement wellness programs can still find significant rewards.
Kathy McAleer, a veteran in the rapidly growing field of consumer-directed healthcare, is vice president of operations for
QCSI's MyHealthBank product line.
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The Managed Care Report calls it a $400 billion shift. Consumers are taking advantage of their control and choice of how they spend their healthcare
dollars. What they need now is information tailored and funneled to them involving their choice of healthy behaviors and best
practices. In other words, consumers need help focusing on three things: self-education, self-monitoring and self-care.
Teaching consumers to be health savvy promises great rewards. The American Diabetes Assn. estimates that in 2002, the direct
cost of diabetes was $92 billion—11% of the U.S. healthcare expenditure. Considering how important productivity is, healthy
employees are—literally—a treasure.
According to an eight-year study, "Short Term Economic Impact of Weight Change Among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes," diabetics
who experienced a 1% weight loss decreased their average healthcare cost by 3.6% ($256) over the 12 months following the weight
loss. Patients with a body mass index (BMI) over 30 who experienced a 1% weight loss decreased their average cost by 5.6%
($408) in the 12 months after weight loss. When we think of wellness, we often consider good nutrition, exercise programs, smoking cessation, preventive care, lowering
cholesterol and managing blood pressure. Members are looking for educational tools and positive reinforcement techniques that
encourage prevention, fitness and wellness. The question we must ask is simple: How do we engage them?
What if a health plan could track real data related to BMI, blood pressure, glucose levels and exercise? Would consumers
act if rewards were offered based on a behavioral change? The good news is that devices are now available in the market to
track this information. Many of the "off-the-shelf" devices have USB ports to allow upload of the data into a Web interface.
EAT LESS TO AVOID ALZHEIMER'S
Preventing obesity has its own benefits, but there is more to the story. The New York Post reports that eating less also may help prevent Alzheimer's disease.
Similarly, a study completed by the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse showed that diet and exercise sharply reduce
the chances that a person with impaired glucose tolerance would develop diabetes.
Leaders in the new healthcare marketplace will move beyond the boundaries of the traditional physician's office—even beyond
modern, innovative retail clinics. Savvy employers will lead through well-designed prevention, fitness and wellness programs.
Many of the tools they'll need are being developed now:
- Static Web sites to provide specific health information;
- Interactive Web sites for health and wellness assessments;
- Biometric devices;
- Health counseling;
- Regular preventive care;
- Awareness incentives;
- Telephone access to ask healthcare questions; and
- Incentives.
These tools should be augmented by effective communication, leadership and management toward better outcomes.
Kathy McAleer, a veteran in the rapidly growing field of consumer-directed healthcare, is vice president of operations for
QCSI's MyHealthBank product line.
