Digital technology has revolutionized the healthcare industry in many ways. Right from offering digital health and wellness solutions, to providing support to physical and mental health and virtual data collection, wellness technology has made it easy for everyone to avail the right healthcare and wellbeing support, at any time from anywhere.
As technology is advancing in every field, almost every task can be done from smartphones and mobile devices. And so, leveraging this digital health and wellness approach by delivering the right tools and resources can be a very effective strategy to support employee wellbeing.
Many studies have proven the positive impact of corporate wellness programs on employee wellbeing. As the objectives of the corporate wellness programs are expanding to meet the evolving employee wellbeing trends, it makes sense to incorporate the right digital health and wellness technology into the wellness modules and features.
Before getting into the details of the association of digital health and wellness with the corporate wellness programs, let’s have a quick brief at its basics.
In simple words, digital health and wellbeing is a concept that incorporated technology to support and improve the health and wellness of individuals. It is a flourishing sector that encompasses different healthcare disciplines, including software and hardware aspects like - wearable gadgets, mobile health apps, telemedicine, health monitoring devices, artificial intelligence, and other digital health solutions. It is about applying modern technology to the healthcare sector for people's welfare.
Often, the term 'Health' can imply physical and mental health. While some can be physically healthy, they can have emotional concerns. On the other hand, ‘Wellbeing’ applies to physical and emotional states, i.e., the body and mind. So, to achieve complete holistic wellbeing, the physical body and mind must be healthy.
Digital health signifies the use of advanced technology to identify and address the healthcare challenges, at individual and corporate levels, to ensure the better overall ‘Wellbeing’ of individuals. So if technology is involved in anything related to health and wellness, it is classified as digital health.
According to a Statista study, almost 40% of US adults are aware of different digital health and wellbeing tools, and 70% of them are ready to utilize them if offered.
Many major companies are committed to improving their employee health and wellbeing, assuring them a better work-life balance and holistic health.
No wonder, they are companies with a high competitive edge, recruiting some of the best talents.
Studies have shown the impact of employee wellbeing on workplace wellness and overall business growth. Likewise, there is enough evidence about the benefits of well-designed employee wellness programs.
Ideally, the key objectives of most workplace wellbeing programs are -
Incorporating digital health tools into the workplace wellbeing programs can help in planning the right modules, wellness challenges, and other required elements. For example, digital health modules like health assessments and screenings can collect information about employee health status, their lifestyle habits, and chronic health risks. In addition to identifying the markers of employee health and wellbeing, digital wellbeing tools can help in cultivating healthy lifestyle habits for better health, thus reducing healthcare costs and improving the overall quality of life.
As employees have different health and wellness requirements, the same digital health tools and wellness program modules may not be useful to all of them. So, the employee wellness programs must be flexible to be customized and scalable to accommodate the evolving trends by incorporating the right workplace wellness software and digital health solutions.
Ideally, digital health and wellness tools can be incorporated into employee wellness programs in many different ways. However, the key to bring aboard the right ones is to understand the health and wellness needs and interests of the employees.
Even before the pandemic started in 2020, employees were becoming conscious about their health and wellbeing, and were choosing organizations that were offering digital health and wellbeing benefits. The COVID-19 pandemic has only driven these requirements to the top of the employee benefits charts. With digital health technology growing rapidly, employees are willing to utilize it, if offered at their workplace. The rising demand has led almost 68% of the global employers to invest in digital health solutions, and 40% of employees said they would stay with a company that offered digital health and wellbeing solutions.
To offer the right digital health and wellbeing solutions, it is vital to stay in line with the latest trends. Here is a quick glimpse of the latest Digital Wellness Trends 2021 –
As healthcare costs are rising, employers are looking for a preventive approach to reduce the risks of chronic health conditions. Improving employee health and wellbeing, treating any existing conditions, and identifying potential risks have become the key strategies. The modern-day digital health tools and services can provide a personalized approach to predict and prevent any possible potential health risks. Robust corporate wellness platforms that have been built with advanced digital wellness technology support health risk assessments, screenings, and other interventions that analyze the patient data and physical metrics like blood pressure, weight, etc., to understand the possible health risks. The best-suited employee wellness solutions can be designed accordingly to reduce risks or prevent any further complications.
The pandemic has proven that mental wellbeing is as important as physical health. Fortunately, wellness technology has revolutionized digital tools and resources to support mental wellbeing. An APA study showed that currently there were about 10,000 and 20,000 applications related to mental health services. The digital mental health support tools and resources have made it possible for such individuals to seek timely professional help without delaying care. In addition to providing timely support, digital mental health resources also make the individuals feel comfortable than having a face-to-face discussion, it reduces service costs, and also offers access to employees who are physically challenged or have time constraints.
The impact of the pandemic on mental health and wellbeing has raised awareness about self-care and the need for work-life balance. With healthcare services getting delayed and employees postponing their medical screenings, practicing self-care has become vital to prevent any health concerns. Digital health and wellness tools help employees to participate in their assessments, polls, and surveys to identify and monitor their health conditions. Right from making changes to their diet to getting adequate exercise and practicing mindfulness, the right digital health and wellness tools can help in promoting self-awareness and address them.
The digital health market has grown immensely in the last decade. From corporate wellness platforms to fitness trackers and wearable devices, digital technology has had massive potential in boosting the corporate wellness market and healthcare industry to identify, treat, and prevent health risks. Moreover, digital health tools have enhanced access to quality healthcare services.
In 2019, the digital health and wellness services reportedly contributed to almost $106 billion. However, the recent pandemic has predicted a 28.5% increase in digital health and wellness services by 2026. No wonder, it makes sense to provide access to the best digital wellness tools at the workplace for your employee wellbeing.
It is only a matter of time until companies start extracting the right information by using digital health solutions. Many companies are looking at reducing healthcare costs by improving employee health and wellbeing. Studies show that almost $730 billion can be saved by employers towards healthcare costs by just changing employee lifestyle habits. Also, the prevalence of preventable chronic health conditions like diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular issues is on the rise. This is when digital health and wellness solutions can be of great use. When implemented using the best-suited corporate wellness software and digital technology, the employee wellbeing solutions can offer resources to improve lifestyle habits like a healthy diet and physical activity. The digital wellbeing tools can help in choosing the right modules and tracking progress, allowing individuals to have better control over their health and wellbeing.
When implemented with appropriate approaches, digital health and wellness solutions can offer workplace wellness benefits like –
With the corporate wellness market growing rapidly, employers are looking for the best ways to have a competitive edge over their competitors. The key objective of implementing corporate wellness programs and digital wellbeing solutions is to establish a healthy workplace culture and improve overall employee wellbeing. As unhealthy and disengaged employees have a negative impact on workplace productivity and business growth, employers are looking to implement all effective employee engagement strategies to their corporate wellness programs.
A Gallup poll revealed that incorporating the right corporate wellness tracking software boosted employee engagement by 34%. And so, it is evident that incorporating the right digital health and wellness solutions is the key to achieving all your wellness and business goals.