Employee benefits that offer ‘health on demand’ digital tools help employers compete for talent
A September 2020 Mercer survey found that 82 per cent of Canadian employees have confidence in digital solutions that help them enhance their health and well-being.iStockPhoto / Getty Images
In a competitive labour market, employers who provide digital health solutions as part of their benefits packages have an edge when it comes to attracting and retaining employees.
Research published by benefits consultancy Mercer shows that employers and employees in Canada see digital health benefits and, more generally, a workplace culture that promotes health and well-being, as important drivers of loyalty to one’s current employer.
The most recent Health on Demand study was published in September 2021 by Mercer, revealing findings from surveying 14,000 employees in 13 countries. That includes perspectives from more than 1,000 Canadian employees about what they want when it comes to their health and well-being. One of the key findings in Canada is that confidence in telemedicine and other digital health solutions has soared, with 82 per cent of employees wanting to continue using these services to help them find and access health care, co-ordinate appointments, communicate with their health-care providers and self-manage conditions.
Previous Health on Demand studies found that enthusiasm for digital health solutions was already present prior to the pandemic. The broad changes produced by the pandemic – from the growth in tele-work to increased mental-health challenges – have moved digital health care in many cases from the category of “helpful” into the realm of “essential.”
C.J. Gordon"The new work environment created by COVID-19 has led more companies to gravitate towards providing digital health tools as part of their health benefits. It’s certainly a growing market.
Senior Associate and Mercer Marsh Benefits Health Innovation LABS leader
Employers have taken note; the 2020 study found that 54 per cent of Canadian employers were planning to invest more in digital health solutions over the next five years. It also found that employees who had access to more health and well-being benefits were more likely to report that these benefits made them less likely to move elsewhere. And according to executives from Mercer Canada, many employers are looking at benefit plan reforms that expand digital health, and companies that develop these technologies are innovating at a quick pace.
“The new work environment created by COVID-19 has led more companies to gravitate towards providing digital health tools as part of their health benefits. It’s certainly a growing market,” says C.J. Gordon, a senior associate and Mercer Marsh Benefits Health Innovation LABS leader.
“And technology vendors have been working to ramp up their capacity to be able to fill the growing need for digital health innovation,” says Ms. Gordon, noting that Mercer has met with over 400 med-tech vendors in the Canadian marketplace so advisers can guide employers on options for reshaping their benefits plans.
Digital health tools align well with employers’ greater focus on creating a pro-health work culture, says Suresh Moorthy, Mercer Marsh Benefits Digital Solutions leader. This trend in company benefit plans has been increasing for some time, and its importance has been amplified in the “pandemic-driven” hybrid workplace.
“Helping employees remain healthy physically and mentally is more challenging when so many Canadians are now working from home and facing stresses as they attempt to also manage their home life, care for their children and handle other responsibilities,” Mr. Moorthy says. “Digital tools give employees ready access to services that fit into their busy lives.”
Online health applications and virtual connections with health-care professionals also offer more personalized services, which helps to create more social equity in access to health care, adds Mr. Moorthy.
New digital technologies are enabling delivery of health services that have traditionally required in-person contact, such as virtual physiotherapy, where a person can be guided in rehabilitative exercises through a combination of demo videos and professional feedback. And virtual ergonomic assessments are available, in which experts can remotely analyze posture and office setups to recommend ways to mitigate risk of musculoskeletal injuries.
Another key area for innovation has been in supporting mental health. One in five Canadian respondents to the 2021 survey have reported experiencing depression, anxiety or another mental health issue.
“Finding a mental health practitioner can be a daunting challenge – it’s so personal,” Ms. Gordon says. “The good news is that a lot of vendors have developed solutions to make the process much easier. In some cases, providers offer a short online assessment that not only gauges the level of mental stress an individual has, but it also helps to match them to a therapist that fits with their demographic preferences, such as gender, age, language and ethnic background.”
There has also been a lot of innovation in terms of self-guided mental health tools and programs, adds Mr. Moorthy. “For example, there are expanded options for internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy, which allows individuals to access high-quality mental health care on their own terms.”
The Mercer survey found that Canadian employees have a high level of trust in digital health solutions that are provided by their employers. “Particularly in the new workplace environment, we can expect employers to expand digital health investments as they continue to place a high priority on employee health and well-being,” says Ms. Gordon.
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