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Every musculoskeletal (MSK) care program wants to enhance member engagement, but few have succeeded in driving consistent, measurable increases in utilization and member satisfaction. The lack of a standardized definition of “utilization,” followed by hidden pitfalls in engagement strategies, keep members from accessing much-needed MSK care—all while employers and payers waste valuable resources providing underutilized programs.
Beyond the numbers: Digging deeper into member engagement
Improving engagement begins with understanding how a benefit connects with members and builds relationships over time. A core issue in the MSK industry is a lack of consistency in how each program measures utilization. These metrics include:
- Clicks
As one of the lowest-impact metrics, a click simply shows that a member is interested in learning more about the program—nothing more. It doesn’t indicate if the member took the next step to start their first visit or even sign up.
- Sign-ups
Recording how many members sign up and provide their information is a reliable indicator of both interest and willingness to take that first step, but sign-ups alone also fail to provide a complete picture of each member’s engagement with the program.
- Content engagement
Once a member signs up, what do they do next? Some members may want to schedule a visit with a clinician right away, but others may not have an immediate clinical need. In either scenario, understanding how much a member interacts with educational content geared towards self or preventive care can yield insights on program interest and topic relevancy.
- Visits
Quantifying how many members attend visits can demonstrate how well a solution motivates members to begin their care journeys. But not all visit metrics are the same. Some point solutions count asynchronous sessions, during which members may interact with AI-guided technology, as a visit. But for MSK issues, which often require personalized care beyond out-of-the-box exercise therapy, calculating real clinician face time unlocks a deeper level of program value.
- Program completion
Counting the number of members who complete a program provides a highly reliable measure of engagement, but it may not paint the whole picture. Engagement should also take into account the connection between program completion, clinical outcomes, and reduced overall claims costs.
Presented in isolation, many of these metrics fail to accurately capture a member’s care journey, resulting in inflated levels of reported engagement. Employers and payers searching for the right MSK program should be acutely aware of the differences between these data points, with a keen eye for the most meaningful metrics for engagement—namely, a combined report of sign-ups, content engagement, clinical visits, clinical outcomes, and reduced claims costs—to ensure a positive return on investment.
The importance of awareness and trust
Regardless of which metric is used for tracking, engaging members on any level is a tough nut to crack in digital care. A national survey reports that over 34 percent of adults are unaware if they have access to a telehealth program, and nearly 49 percent have reservations about the quality of care and clinician engagement when receiving care virtually (ATA, 2019). When evaluating an MSK solution, employers and payers should push vendors to demonstrate how they drive awareness of and confidence in their digital offerings.
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Future-proofing your engagement strategy: leverage tactics that are proven to work
At Vori Health, personalization lies at the center of our member engagement strategy. Whether it’s individualized outreach or customized care plans, our services put the member first. Instead of utilizing episodic tactics to inconsistently—and ineffectively—engage with members, we leverage a systematic, evergreen approach that employs best practices to get the word out and keep our program top of mind. Our best practices include:
- Leveraging predictive analytics to find and engage members early. We use software-driven analytics to identify at-risk members at critical inflection points—before inappropriately escalating care to surgical intervention—and redirect them toward our doctor-led, whole-person MSK solution.
- Bolstering member outreach with a member engagement specialist. Vori Health employs dedicated member engagement specialists to personalize member outreach, answer questions, and help drive higher engagement. “I help ease the transition into virtual care and assist members with any program related questions,” shares Kaylee Mason, a member engagement specialist at Vori. “During my first phone call, I like to explain to our members how this program relates to their insurance plans and how we can assist them with feeling their best!”
“I help ease the transition into virtual care and assist members with any program related questions,” shares Kaylee Mason, a Vori Health member engagement specialist.
- Broadcasting the flexibility to choose between in-person and virtual care. Members are looking for a personalized MSK program that not only addresses their unique health needs but also offers the type of care that they need or prefer—in-person, digitally, or both. Providing a hybrid offering that gives members the flexibility in their site of care allows a program to reach many more people. Indeed, programs that utilize Vori Health’s hybrid offering see double the engagement with their member population.
- Bringing physician-led care straight to a member’s fingertips. Whether it’s for an initial evaluation and diagnosis, or expert guidance when bumps arise in a care journey, members appreciate direct access to a medical doctor. Additionally, as forty percent of MSK cases require a physician for treatment, providing access to medical doctors ensures the most comprehensive coverage for a member population.
- Keeping members in one ecosystem. Treating MSK pain is rarely just a single-pronged approach. After receiving a physician-led diagnosis and treatment plan, the chances of a member with back pain needing a physical therapist to improve function, a nutritionist to lose weight, and a health coach to achieve behavior change are high. With Vori Health, members get access to all through one care team.
By combining personalized member outreach with care offerings that resonate and delight members, Vori Health engages the most expensive and complex MSK cases–which typically represent 20 percent or more of claims–to drive better outcomes.
Interested in learning more about how to drive engagement and improve outcomes for your members with MSK conditions? Contact our team today.
REFERENCES
- ATA, 2019: One in 10 Americans Use Telehealth, But Nearly 75% Lack Awareness or Access, J.D. Power Finds. (2019, August 1). The American Telemedicine Association.
