Putting whole health into practice
The movement toward a whole health approach increases trust and engagement, and places less influence on individual providers in favor of a more holistic, consensus view of treatments and interventions. Under the new norm, centralized support links cross-disciplinary teams, all focused on quality care. As we see more and more employers embracing principles of advocacy, empathy and responsiveness within a whole health environment, we also look forward to continued improvement in the consumer experience and stronger physical, emotional and financial health for employees.
Capitalizing on the power of integrated resources
We will see a continued push to strengthen connections between human resources, risk management, and corporate leadership, with organizations embracing integrated programs as they address the shared challenges of healthcare, return to work, ADA compliance and more. In addition, the importance of data connectivity within organizations and across providers will continue to grow as we work to avoid information gaps, optimize care, and avoid potential dangers.
Exploring alternatives for pain management
We anticipate more collaboration between employers, physicians, pharmacists, claims specialists and patients as they move away from long-term drug therapy and instead test its alternatives in pursuit of returning a person to long-term health and productivity. This may mean we see variations on more traditional options like physical therapy and pharmacy management, or perhaps broader utilization of tools such as physician-patient opioid contracts, pain coaching partnerships, behavioral health networks, or alternative therapies like yoga, meditation and acupuncture.
Read our thought leadership on these topics.