3 ways health plans can improve the member experience with digital health tools

Members have high expectations when it comes to their health plan experiences. They’re surrounded by personalized digital ads and outreach that makes it easy for them to get what they need—and quickly. Meanwhile, health plans are responsible for providing this modern digital experience to members while cutting costs, improving outcomes, and abiding by shifting regulations.

Digital health solutions can help support your members and your organization by extending clinician reach, streamlining workflows, and uncovering actionable data to improve outreach. Based on experiences with Wellframe’s existing health plan customers, we compiled three key ways your health plan can improve the member experience with digital health.

In a recent study, only 50 percent of patients could correctly remember post-discharge instructions. These healthcare knowledge gaps make it difficult for members to follow their care programs and manage their diagnoses, potentially leading to complications and worsening outcomes. To help bridge these gaps, health plans can leverage digital health tools to improve information sharing and provide resources that keep members on track.

Including clinically reviewed resources within a digital care management solution gives members a single, trustworthy place to go when they want information or assistance. Wellframe users, for example, receive articles related to their diagnoses in a daily checklist. They can also search for information on specific topics within the member resource center. Plus, care managers can share links to specific resources within a secure chat—making it easier for members to get reliable information and empowering them to make more informed decisions.

Ongoing staffing shortages and increasing costs mean clinicians and administrators must “do more with less.” Traditional communications like phone calls can take up valuable time, and don’t allow clinicians to connect with more than one member at a time—if they even answer the phone. It can be overwhelming for staff to manage new technologies while trying to engage with members and deliver a personalized healthcare experience. Digital health solutions can ease some of the strain by enabling clinicians and administrators to reach out to multiple members at once with secure HIPAA-compliant messages that members can respond to in their own time.

Digital health tools can also make it easier for clinicians and administrators to communicate effectively regarding patient needs. Traditionally, members may call their physician to ask a question, and then need to be transferred to ask a benefits-related question. This takes a significant amount of time, and members may not be able to wait on hold. With Wellframe’s secure messaging feature, clinicians and administrators can add each other to an existing chat. This reduces the time it takes to answer members’ questions and eliminates the need for members to repeat relevant information, as staff can see the chat history.

Digital health solutions can facilitate surveys and assessments that screen members for care gaps and barriers related to social determinants of health. Rather than sending physical surveys in the mail or holding lengthy phone calls, digital solutions like Wellframe give care teams the ability to send digital questionnaires that are more accessible and take less time than traditional methods. Once members complete the surveys, care teams can see the results instantly and follow up in a timelier manner.

Care teams can also access key insights through remote monitoring and biometrics tracking. Some digital health solutions support biometric monitoring including blood pressure, blood sugar, step and activity tracking. With Wellframe, both members and care teams can see trends in readings over time. Plus, care managers receive alerts when members input readings that are out of the normal range, facilitating fast and efficient outreach.