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With emergency room visits alone, 56% of them are non-urgent and about one-third could have been treated over the phone." Buoy is differentiated in the space of digital health assistants because of its ability to move forward from symptom analysis, and integrate actual information about employees' benefits for guidance on how to best access and navigate a complex health care system. Many programs that employers offer as part of their health benefits are often underutilized because employees don't know how to access them in a sea of options. Buoy can help create a path to these options (such as telemedicine or other in-network options that are part of an employee's specific health benefits) as part of the employee's personalized action plan for treatment. In addition, the platform offers a custom profile page where employees can access a record of past ailments and benefit usage, to keep them going in the right direction – all from their personal device. For those who suffer from chronic conditions, support from mobile technology is truly life-changing. "When we thought about the use of technology, we said for these individuals really going through periods of vulnerability, the number-one thing we can do is to help people feel connected and cared for," says Jake Sattelmair, CEO of Wellframe. "That means meeting emotional and relational needs, not just clinical and informational ones." Wellframe works with a health plan's care management team to deliver daily tips and reminders to help those dealing with a chronic condition to stay on track, while also creating a secure platform within which an employee can communicate directly with a nurse care manager from their health plan, creating a multi-channel communication approach (and a direct human connection) to managing care and answering questions about benefits and coverage. Through Wellframe, employees can communicate directly with their health plan's care team through HIPAA-compliant two-way messaging, SMS text, video chat, and email. Apps that help support the targeted management of specific chronic conditions are also gaining popularity. GlucoseZone by FitScript, a New Haven-based start-up, is one such example. GlucoseZone, an app that is available to all Harvard Pilgrim members in Connecticut, offers individuals living with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes digital consultations with a diabetes coach, who can then customize exercise and diet programs that take into consideration their real-time blood sugar levels, and help track success from a friendly, interactive screen. "When you actually provide patients with tools for fitness therapy that's based on their real-time blood sugar levels and factor in their medications, you have astounding results. One patient reduced their medication consumption by $39,000 a year," explains Charlie O'Connell, GlucoseZone's founder and CEO. As advancements in digital care continue to evolve, Harvard Pilgrim is committed to staying at the forefront of these innovative offerings to keep you and your employees happy and healthy. "One patient reduced their medication consumption by $39,000 a year." 3. Personal, Continuous Support for Employees with Chronic Health Conditions Call us at 866-750-2068 LEARN MORE For more details on offering these digital tools to your employees, talk to your broker or reach out to your Harvard Pilgrim account executive. SPONSORED CONTENT