By Cindy Jordan, CEO and Co-Founder, Pyx Health
LinkedIn: Cindy Jordan
LinkedIn: Pyx Health
With the help of technology, health plans now have a plethora of ways to interact with their members outside of the traditional in-person doctors’ visits – whether it’s through text messages, apps, e-mail, or web-based platforms. Unfortunately, as the myriad of communication channels expand, the valuable impact of health plans’ interactions with members has become diluted.
Defining Engagement
Many health plans today define “engagement” as a simple interaction, like a member responding to a text message or acknowledging their appointment in a healthcare portal. But this narrow definition risks “losing the forest for the trees.”
An engaged member isn’t someone who occasionally interacts with their health plan in superficial ways. Instead, engagement reflects active participation in managing one’s healthcare—both online and in-person. Truly engaged members understand their benefits, utilize preventive care, and truly trust their providers and health plans.
Impact-Centered Interactions
Why define engagement in this way? Because it delivers real, tangible benefits to members. Research shows that engaged members are more likely to adhere to prescribed medications and treatment plans, resulting in better health outcomes. For example, one study shows that engaged members experience 13% fewer hospital admissions. This relationship benefits everyone: members achieve improved well-being and reduce visits to the ER, which can be costly for health plans.
When we choose to build relationships with members – instead of merely checking a box – we find that there are often deeper-seeded reasons why someone might disengage. Perhaps they aren’t taking their medication because they can’t afford it, or they’ve missed three doctor appointments in a row because they don’t have reliable transportation. Maybe the member can’t get their diabetes under control because they don’t have access to healthy foods, or perhaps they don’t fully understand the treatment plan outlined by their physician.
Without strong relationships, these underlying issues often go undiscovered. Many times, members won’t feel comfortable disclosing these issues to a physician or health plan that they don’t have an established relationship with. That’s why when we take away the “human” element of healthcare and just rely on transactional tech-driven interactions, we see “disengagement” as an endpoint – rather than a symptom of something larger.
Ultimately, no matter what method we use to “engage” members, the objective should remain the same: to build trust. When patients trust their healthcare providers and members trust their health plans, they’re much more likely to share what those healthcare “barriers” are. That allows the healthcare system to better address their needs.
By addressing these root causes and fostering trust, positive engagement naturally follows. People want to take charge of their healthcare decisions; they just need the right tools and support to do so.
Using Technology to Bolster Engagement
The reality is that tech-based engagement often feels transactional. Members may hesitate to respond to a healthcare survey or questionnaire if it seems there’s no personal benefit. This approach can strain relationships and leave members feeling undervalued.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. By building technology that has empathy at the forefront, we can start to open the door to building more meaningful relationships with members. Apps, web-based portals, and e-mail communications should be easy to use, friendly, reliable, and considerate – just like we expect human providers to be.
Taking a conscientious and empathetic approach to technology – one that amplifies the work of humans instead of replacing it – can also help to establish trust. By reaching members through a range of different mediums, we build a more well-rounded and lasting relationship. In-person interactions and phone conversations can be reserved for deeper, trust-building conversations, while technology allows members to quickly and easily “check in” throughout their hectic lives.
While technology provides powerful tools for reaching members, it’s essential not to sacrifice impact for convenience. Whether through digital platforms or face-to-face interactions, empathy must remain at the heart of healthcare. Building trusting relationships may be challenging, but it is the key to advancing health outcomes and lowering costs for everyone involved.