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3 New Ways Employers Are Using Technology to Support Employee Health As we speed toward end-to-end digital life, the way people monitor their own health has evolved. And because smarter tech has given consumers a more holistic view of their overall health, they now expect more digital functionality to be incorporated into their health care benefits. Recently, Rick Weisblatt, Chief Innovation and Strategy Officer at Harvard Pilgrim, sat down with other leaders in the digital health space to discuss new ways people can proactively and seamlessly care for themselves, from their personal digital devices. Savvy HR departments recognize that their employees' well-being is key to the overall success of the company. The better supported employees feel, the more engaged and productive they will be in the workplace. And well-being goes beyond an employee's physical health, to also encompass their emotional and financial health, and even their attitudes toward their work and sense of purpose. However, onsite programming to address these aspects of overall health and well-being is not always an option for employers to offer employees. "50% of all medical issues have a comorbidity of stress." "We know that the world of work is very broken today. There is a lot of stress, employees are under a lot of pressure, and that leads to health care issues and problems. We know that 50% of all medical issues have a comorbidity of stress," says Gary Gustafson, Divisional VP of Customer Success at Limeade, Harvard Pilgrim's digital partner for the well-being programs it offers to employers. Limeade's immersive platform for employee well-being illustrates how mobile technology can be leveraged as a powerful tool to help guide overall well-being. Aside from offering trackable health assessments, the tool also "gamifies" elements of well-being like fitness and nutrition, creating challenges and games to work toward goals and drive better outcomes. It integrates personal step trackers, pulse monitors, and other consumer products on a single dashboard. However, one of the key aspects of the Limeade platform is its ability to offer personalized recommendations to each individual employee that can span well beyond the traditional wellness goals of losing weight or eating healthier. Also included is access to tools that help to manage stress and anxiety through daily check-ins, mindfulness exercises, and webinars. This allows employees to more easily assess the areas of well-being they want to focus on, access supporting tools and resources, and accomplish the goals that matter most to them – at their own pace, and from their own mobile device. For more information on the Harvard Pilgrim Well-being program, visit harvardpilgrim.org/wellbeingforall. In an age when seemingly endless information is available at our fingertips, there's an ongoing struggle between getting informed about one's health and (often inaccurately) self-diagnosing. Whether it's a nagging pain or a mental health issue, on-demand analysis of symptoms and guidance on next steps based on diagnosis and personal health benefits can help your employees get the right medical help they need, when they need it. "72% of Americans turn to Google [when feeling unwell], but 54% of the information they read is inaccurate," explains Dr. Andrew Le, CEO and co-founder of Buoy Health. "What ends up happening is patients going to the wrong care at the wrong time. 1. Total Well-Being Support 2. Guided Diagnoses and Action Plan SPONSORED CONTENT