A silver lining of the coronavirus pandemic has been how it disrupted healthcare systems, driving solutions to tackle disease and improve health outcomes. With the rapid adoption of digital tools during the pandemic, healthcare saw a notable merger with tech that delivered outstanding results that will revolutionize the future of workplace health and benefits for years to come. One of the challenges employers faced in the pre-pandemic era was accessing and using data to improve healthcare decisions. However, the last few years have birthed an innovative tool for employers, a 'lockbox' that addresses many issues around data, providing employers with a plug-and-play network of resources to make better healthcare decisions for their population. At this year's Healthcare Revolution conference, which was on April 26-28, Jonathan Edelheit, Chairman and Co-Founder of Global Healthcare Resources, spoke with Diana Dimon, former Senior Manager of Benefits at Linde, about the potential impact of Abett's data 'lockbox' on employee healthcare and benefits.
One of the most prominent changes in healthcare has been the advent of a digital revolution in the industry. In what has been described as the "Uberization" of healthcare, key players have attempted to leverage the rapid developments in technology to disrupt patient care delivery and gain a competitive advantage. Healthcare systems and providers have now adopted electronic health records, remote monitoring systems, telemedicine, and other technologies to transform patient care. This transformation has seen health data extensively stored, shared, accessed, analyzed, and used in digital platforms, including wearable devices, smartphone apps, medical devices, and AI-driven models. Consequently, this shift has provided healthcare systems and other stakeholders access to a digital universe with large volumes of useful information that is integral to driving topline results and improving healthcare outcomes.
Privacy issues arise in each phase of data management, including data collection, storage, and use. These elements pose concerns to employees and must be consistent with applicable guidance.
In today’s workplace, mental health and well-being programs thrive on tech solutions, including mental wellness apps, tele-mental health services, and virtual counselling. Each of these initiatives involves employees volunteering sensitive information about themselves, including their age, home address, mental health conditions, current and past treatments, as well as any comorbidities. As a sensitive issue, therefore, employers and HR managers need to make drastic moves to help rebuild trust among the workforce and retain their best hands.
