mHealth Congress: Payers build consumer engagement with mHealth tools
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Making useful data and information available to consumers to encourage healthy habits is a step forward for an industry that has historically tried to operate out of sight. “The concept of open in the insurance world is something that is still relatively new,” said Dan Brostek, head of member and consumer engagement at Aetna.
Open is the name of the game now, though, as Aetna, Independence Blue Cross, United Healthcare and and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois have all begun experimenting with apps as a way to get connected with consumers.
Aetna
Aetna acquired the iTriage app last year and is using the mHealth tool to help patients navigate the healthcare system through reminder and provider search functions. Aetna also makes the health-focused app Mindbloom Life Game available for free, hoping to encourage healthy living through gamification. Since its launch in September 2011, more than 50,000 have registered to play the game.
“The thing I love most about mobile is you get immediate feedback: good, bad and ugly,” Brostek said. “We’re learning a lot about how people’s behaviors are changing through feedback.”
United Healthcare
“When we looked at consumers and how they want to interact, we essentially saw two groups,” said United Healthcare’s Nick Martin, vice president of innovation and research and development. “Group one wants to navigate the system and group two has specific health goals.”
With this information in mind, United Healthcare developed two apps to engage patients: OptumizeMe, a health tracking app that interacts with social media networks, and Health4Me, a healthcare management app that allows users to find a provider, speak with a nurse and check a claim’s status.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois
Wanting to break into the mHealth field, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois implemented a pilot program among 200 of its employees with AT&T and the WellDoc app, a tool users can use to receive health tips, chat with providers and conduct personal health assessments. Over 60 percent of the pilot users accessed the tool once a week or more, about three-quarters continued using the after the pilot ended and 93 percent would recommend the app to someone else.
“Virtual care management will enable Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois to reach a greater number of members with the tools they find most effective,” according to the payer’s director of mobile and emerging technologies, Patrick Feeney.
Independence Blue Cross
Looking to add to its current set of health IT tools for patients, Independence Blue Cross is currently piloting Healthrageous, a multi-functional healthcare management tool among its employees. The app wirelessly connects with kiosks in the workplace where users can have their blood pressure taken. Those results are stored in the app and are also available online. Since beginning the pilot, some employees have seen their blood pressure drop.
“Where we’re looking to go with Healthrageous is to continue incorporating that type of program into other tools to make it a consistent, seamless part of our wellness and disease management offerings,” said Michael Yetter, Independence Blue Cross’ director of ebusiness.
While the tools each payer described are still in the early stages of development and testing, the panelists are excited for the future and see great potential for the ability of mHealth tools to produce positive health outcomes.
Everything the different vendors do works for the overall good of the industry, Martin said. “We’re competitors, but that really helps invigorate the space and produce meaningful apps.”