Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/961245
156 Executive Briefing For its own employees, Cerner combines claims, wellness and clinical data using their big data platform called HealtheIntent SM . The programmable, cloud-based system is designed to take in disparate pieces of data, which arrive in a variety of formats. HealtheIntent synthesizes the data, normalizes it and makes it actionable so users know how to best engage and manage their population's health needs. Cerner "walks across the data elements" and gains a longitudinal view of their employee population. When using HealtheIntent, health systems can aggregate, transform and reconcile data to paint a portrait of their employee population's health while facilitating meaningful well-being interactions at a person level. The platform is also vendor agnostic; health systems need not have a Cerner EHR to use HealtheIntent. Cerner has interacted with data sets for hundreds of health systems and is familiar with the ways an organization can slice and dice claims, use wellness and clinical data to identify patterns, and more effectively allocate resources and intervene in a meaningful way. "We can look at patterns around particular clinical areas, high-spend areas and other trends that might be identified based on what is happening with the health of the population, including what is spent or consumed from a healthcare standpoint," says Mr. Heckman. "Or we can look from a demographic perspective. Are we seeing different patterns based on different attributes of the population, such as gender, age or location? I might have people sitting in one building that, for whatever reason, are not exercising at all or have a higher proportion of chronic disease than I'd expect. Maybe there is something about that location, building or culture that can explain it, and we address it." Personalized engagement strategies When health systems have longitudinal views of their workforce's health and well-being, they are better positioned to segment and customize their engagement strategies for individual employees. After all, not every employee approaches health or wellness with the same motivations and goals. For example, say three employees share the same two chronic conditions. One worker is unable or uninterested in actively managing his conditions right now. Another is deeply motivated to address these conditions — she wants to take the bull by the horns and tackle them herself. The third employee does not want to manage these conditions by himself, but he is willing to work with a clinical care team to change. To really drive improvements, employers must understand the big picture of their employees' health while also tailoring incentives and engagement strategies to account for individuals' preferences. Organizations deploy a wide range of engagement strategies, but an incentive strategy is in the DNA of every successful health and wellness program. Incent people to participate Incentives for participation help employers build a baseline for their health and wellness programs. For example, among large companies that offer health risk assessments, 52 percent offer workers an incentive to complete the assessment, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. These incentives include lowered premium contributions or reduced cost sharing; cash, health savings account or health reimbursement arrangement contributions; gift cards, merchandise or raffle entries; or eligibility for other wellness rewards. Incent people to take action Beyond incentives for participation, employers also impose rewards for employees who change their lifestyles or adjust their daily behaviors. For example, companies may offer rewards for employees who exercise four times a week, quit smoking or take a certain number of steps every month. Incent people to achieve outcomes Finally, employers may offer incentives to motivate and reward employees who improve their vitals and health metrics over a specified amount of time. For instance, some companies offer incentives when employees lower their blood pressure or body mass index. "All three of these types of incentives can be effective," says Mr. Heckman. "I think their success is highly dependent on the culture of the workforce at that moment in time. In my mind, there is a logical progression from participation to activity to outcomes. If you go through that progression at a speed that is acceptable to the workforce culture, you can be successful. If you go straight to the end and start by incentivizing outcomes, you are less likely to be successful." The best workforce well-being programs also present a wide range of options for incentives and change the incentives so they aren't perceived as an entitlement. As one company told Mr. Heckman, some employees are motivated by monetary incentives whereas others go the extra mile for a free t-shirt. Giving employees a say in their reward is especially critical given the diversity of a health system's workforce. People from distinct generations, cultural backgrounds or of different genders may not find the same things inspiring. Mr. Heckman recommends a visual display of incentives and reward options. "You might give someone a prize catalogue and they can spend their incentive points on what is attractive to them," he says. "You can definitely differentiate based on optionality." Conclusion As the American healthcare landscape continues to shift its focus from reactive care to preventive care, whole-person health and well-being, it is critical for health systems to lead the way and serve as examples of what companies can (and should) do for their employees. A data-driven workforce health program is better suited to improve outcomes and lower costs than programs based on guesswork and convention. But that is only step one of what is possible. Looking beyond these immediate benefits, health systems have the chance to walk the talk and prove to their communities and local employers that they are masters in managing the health of populations. In doing so, employers in the area are more likely to see these organizations as providers of choice and healthcare professionals are more likely to see them as employers of choice. "You will see a lot of companies where a positive, healthy culture attracts people with positive, healthy attitudes. You can influence that culture and the type of people who stay and who want to work for your organization," says Mr. Heckman. A living, breathing and thriving employee health and well-being program brings a lot of positives for any organization in America. But again, hospitals and health systems stand to gain something unique when they deeply understand and support the health of their workforce. "Healthcare is a stressful industry," says Mr. Heckman. "Anything you can do to improve the joy of being at work is a value in and of itself." n We have more than 30 years of workplace health experience and more than 35 years in health care technology. We are always finding new and innovative ways to deliver value to our clients. We have achieved outstanding results for our own employees and their families. We want to do the same for yours.