Despite a downward business cycle, employers remain stanch believers in their wellness and disease management programs, according to a market survey by DMAA, a disease management trade association.
The group found that 84% of health plans and employers offer one or more wellness programs and that 91% will do so within the next year. In addition, the survey shows that diabetes, coronary artery disease and asthma represent the top three conditions for disease management program enrollment.
Employers are demanding more from their wellness and disease management vendors when it comes to employee satisfaction and data integration.
For example, 87% of service providers report that satisfaction measures are the most common elements included in requests for proposals, while 77% indicate that data integration is a customer expectation in RFPs.
"We view [the survey] as an ongoing project," DMAA President Tracey Moorhead says, adding that the association plans follow-up surveys over the next two years. "An important aspect of this project understands how the needs of the market change over time, so our members and others can respond with the most effective programs possible," she adds.
The survey represents the responses of 114 major health plans, employers and companies that provide health improvement programs.
Other key findings included:
- Health plans, employers and service organizations concur that member engagement, strong willingness to change behavior and physician engagement are the three strongest determinants of disease management program success.
- Health risk assessments are the most popular wellness initiative among employers and service organizations. Health plans most often favor cholesterol screening and counseling.
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