How we tackle successful enrollment and engagement in a diabetes program for employers

61% of small businesses, 70% of start-ups and 81% of high-tech firms aim to offer a better benefits package than competitors -- Emerging Trends report from Guardian

Through our recent experience we’ve learned that HR managers are increasingly  concerned with three key areas when considering new wellness offerings:

• Enrollment

• Engagement

• Results

We’ll dive into each of these in this article.

Why it’s important to offer a diabetes program

According to the CDC’s latest report, 12.2% of U.S. adults are living with diabetes. Whether you know it or not, you’re dealing with a population of employees living with diabetes. It’s a wise investment to support them however you can. When your employees aren’t getting what they need to take care of themselves, everything suffers–including your bottom line.

“It’s nearly impossible to focus on my job when I’m chasing high or low blood sugars...” -- Amy D., living with diabetes 

Diabetes ranks fourth on AON’s list of health conditions driving health care claims in the country, so it’s easy to see that employers are feeling the pain and there’s no question why they should be looking for effective ways to make a difference.

How to build effective enrollment strategies 

mySugr is a fun diabetes solution that will spice up your open enrollment strategy and help you drive more value from the benefits you offer. But how can you be sure your employees will take advantage of it?

In this study, 62% of employers say wellness programs are included in their benefits, but only 40% of employees say their employers offer them. That’s a big gap and leaves a lot of room for improvement. 

While more than 62 percent say they offer wellness programs, only 40 percent of employees (with employer-based coverage) say they work for an employer who offers a wellness program” -- Transamerica Center for Health Studies

We’ve learned that a combination of approaches can help close the gap. Co-branded marketing templates and communication plans are most effective, followed closely by participating in health fairs during enrollment season and then ongoing efforts such as educational webinars and tutorials.

There’s typically a surge of enrollment upon launching, then a steady trickle of enrollments from those who need longer to make the transition. Off-cycle launches are also worth considering. Beyond enrollment, it’s important to continue offering educational content and best practice pieces to keep the momentum going. Webinars and user story formats are very effective here. 

The goal is to demonstrate our deep understanding of diabetes, build a high level of trust within your workforce, and be seen as a trusted partner in their diabetes care as they navigate life.

From enrolled to engaged

Engagement with mySugr goes beyond the traditional metric of time spent using the mySugr app. Instead, we’re looking at measures across the suite of services. Everything from supply consumption and automated logging to messaging with coaches and service satisfaction goals. Of course, the big-picture goal is taking care of your workforce’s diabetes needs so they feel healthy and productive. 

mySugr uses connected devices like blood glucose meters, weight scales, and blood pressure monitors so data flows seamlessly into our platform without being burdensome to your workforce. Proactive population management prioritizes those at higher risk and individualized coaching matches their care needs to established standards. We use care curriculums based on the AADE7 self-care behaviors to guide members through top-quality diabetes education and priorities are set to leverage preferences and learning styles. Combined, the value your enrolled employees see is increased and manual work is decreased, which improves overall engagement.

We see engagement rates over 80% for the majority of contracts with more than 50% of enrolled users messaging their in-app coach. Our most recent customer satisfaction survey yielded a higher NPS score (“Would you recommend this service to your friends/family?”) than that of Netflix.

Results that speak for themselves

The mySugr app has nearly 2 million users with an average rating of over 4.5 stars in the App and Play stores. mySugr also carries an “Exceptional” rating on danaapps.org, an app review repository powered by the American Association of Diabetes Educators. It’s clear that mySugr is well-loved in the consumer and professional space alike.

• Presented at ATTD in 2017, this study demonstrates improved blood sugars, lower risk of hyperglycemia, and improved estimated HbA1c results with consistent use of mySugr. 

• Presented at ADA 2017, this study shows a significant reduction in the risk of severe hypoglycemic events.

• Presented at DTM in 2018, this study shows improved blood sugars, more tests in range, and improved estimated HbA1c.

Additional information is available on mySugr’s science and research page. 

Monthly reporting for employers keeps you up to date on overall engagement statistics and topics along with a special “user voice” section for additional insight into the program. 

Conclusion

According to this Employee Health and Wellness Checkup report from Robert Half, 66% of HR managers say their company’s health and wellness offerings have increased in the past 5 years. And Guardian tells us that 55% of workers want to stay at their company for 10 years or more when they feel their employer cares about their well-being. It’s no surprise that you’re spending more time and energy offering wellness resources for your employees.

It’s a fantastic service and I love the access to coaching and unlimited test strips. It helps me stay on top of my numbers and adjust my meds and diet as needed.” -- Derric G., mySugr user 

Want to learn more about how to maximize your investment? Contact us to learn how we tackle successful enrollment and engagement in a diabetes program for employers.