Bob Dylan sings, “The times they are a-changin”. The genius of his words of course stems from the simplicity with which he is able to capture the dynamic nature of society both in the here-and-now as well as in the past and future. In examining wellness programs and the concept of well-being, his words also hold true. The origin of wellness programs can be traced back to the early 1970s, when a department store allowed its employees to get free screenings for hypertension. That basic idea of health promotion has undergone multiple iterations since, but the premise has largely remained the same. Unfortunately, those traditional approaches aren’t translating into desired results. As has been emphasized throughout this series it is time to approach this concept in a new light, taking into account trends and developments that could heavily influence return on investment and outcomes. It is time to reinvent old ideas into innovative techniques that engage stakeholders and produce reliable, sustainable effects. Social media might just provide the resources to allow this transformation to occur.
Until recently, communication for wellness programs focused on brochures and pamphlets, posters in central hallways, discussion groups in conference rooms, paper surveys, and maybe email if implemented in the past five years or so. Studies examining Internet use in designing wellness programs is almost non-existent, but those that have been done show improved results. Meanwhile, the ability to build communities, albeit through a virtual medium, is at a level never before seen. Individuals are using Smartphones and websites to brand themselves, create identities, and remain connected to others. As an example of the ubiquity of this new media, Twitter grew at an amazing 1382% over the past year, with more than 7 million unique users in one month alone (Ostrow, 2009). FaceBook boasts over 65 million users, MySpace over 54, and LinkedIn more than 13. LinkedIn doubled its site visitors last year (AA, 2009). Additionally, an estimated 17% of all time spent online is on social networking sites (Nielson, 2009). The social landscape is changing, but could it alter how employees approach work? Though there is a scarcity of research in this area, one study suggests that employee productivity increases if communication with friends is facilitated (Harter, 2002). Another argues that social relationships are essential to well-being (Diener, 2004). By connecting employees who can then potentially build relationships and communities, these sites and many others like them offer tremendous opportunity to increase participation and fuel return on investment.
In the sphere of wellness and well-being in the United States, the focus has primarily been on health promotion. While most companies trudge along with programs steeped in old methodology, consumers increasingly turn to the Internet for health advice, community messaging, and information to inform their decisions. Consumer Health Informatics (CHI) is a burgeoning field which bridges health and technology. With regard to relationship-centered outcomes such as quality of life, social support, positive interaction with the provider, satisfaction with care, and decision-making skills, CHI programs demonstrate over 60% effectiveness (AHRQ, 2009). Hospitals have started to jump aboard this movement. Out of 410 hospitals surveyed, over 200 use FaceBook, YouTube, or Twitter (EB, 2009). Simultaneously, telemedicine, online consultations, and other forms of communication are becoming commonplace for patients, contributing to what has come to be known as participatory medicine. These outlets are quickly becoming the way to take ownership of one’s health and yet most employers have not tapped into this resource.
Currently, only three of 10 employees participate in wellness programs (WELCOA, 2009). For the amount of money employers spend on implementation, this number is abysmal. As discussed throughout this series, there are concrete ways to remedy this situation and thereby improve return on investment, participation, and outcomes. Utilizing social media offers three distinct advantages to facilitate this process: 1) it provides a balance between work and life; 2) it helps individuals and companies solidify identities; and 3) it creates a focus for development.
Balance, identity, and focus are not words you hear every day in the same sentence as wellness programs. And yet these characteristics are arguably the way to transform them into high quality products that produce definitive results. By building communities through various social media platforms, companies may help create a balance for employees by integrating their unique interests into overarching goals. Examples include Crohn’s and Me, CF Voice, and Children with Diabetes, which all bring together individuals with common interests to create a forum for information and advice. In so doing, individuals suddenly adopt new identities and join a larger community working for a common goal. For a company who is able to use this idea effectively, the internal branding may be indispensable. An example in health care is the CDC, who launched a platform earlier this year to broadcast messages about the H1N1 virus through the use of widgets, online videos, and personalized messages. Likewise, the mass acceptance of Web 2.0 (see Part 2 of this series for more information) has clearly demonstrated that health care transcends the individual physician-patient relationship. Other examples include BestBuy’s Twelpforce, which creates direct contact between employees and customers while Foursquare makes networked activity local and mobile (Armano, 2009). These approaches allow employers to augment recruitment, engagement, participation, and internal communications.
The idea that consumers and employees are two separate groups does not take into account the multidimensional nature of our society. One’s well-being is an amalgamation of work and home life and social media outlets potentially provide a way to merge these two seamlessly. For companies to change the way they connect with employees and thereby maximize returns on wellness programs, they will need to incorporate social media options to a greater extent. Like Dylan points out, the times are changing, and those companies that recognize this fact early may be the beneficiaries of an incredible opportunity.
