Perspectives: Connected Health: How EMC Corporation Uses Technology to Drive Engagement Up and Costs Down

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EMC Corporation began exploring new approaches to health care in 2002, when an annual medical trend of 15% threatened to double health plan costs within five years for both the company and employees. But rather than focusing on cost alone, EMC's strategy used innovation to engage employees and their families in a "partnership in health," improve quality and patient safety and, at the same time, reduce health care costs.

EMC's approach supported highly targeted, high-touch programs with new health technologies, such as e-prescribing, remote patient monitoring, computerized order entry and personal health records. Claim savings were achieved with the very first trial, and the new strategy resulted, five years later, in a medical trend well below national averages.

Just as important, employee response to the strategy is universally positive. For example, nearly 90% of EMC's U.S. employees have bought into the company's interactive health portal, ensuring continued engagement and cost savings going forward, and demonstrating the potential value of connected health as a long-term cost and quality solution.

Read this issue of Perspectives to learn more about the essentials of implementing connected health:

• integrating your data and supporting technologies
• targeting your population's health needs
• educating employees about good health care consumerism, and recognizing and rewarding their efforts
• setting the tone for a "partnership in health" at the top, and leading by example
• engaging employees in conducting their own biometric screenings remotely, responding to personalized health messaging online and self-managing their conditions over time
• measuring costs and results to demonstrate both program ROI and the bottom-line impact of a healthy, engaged workforce.