Role of Technology in Creating Better Wellness Program

Evolution of Wellness Programs

A wellness program is not a new concept as it has been around since the 1900s when organizations used to set up fitness centers and smoking cessation programs. But as technology is evolving day by day and the medium of conducting wellness programs has also changed.

As per a survey conducted about the American organization, 55% of the small companies in America provide wellness programs whereas, in big organizations with more than 200 employees, around 88% of the companies offer wellness programs that includes thorough health screening.

For Better Wellness Communication

Communication has never been easier than it is now. With the help of technology, anybody can contact anyone at any point in time. Talking about the wellness program, it is believed that the communication gap between the employer and employees has been a key factor as to why employers are not able to provide a good wellness program. 

This is where technology can play a crucial role and help employers to connect with their employees easily. Employers should take some time to get feedback from the employees as to which communication tool they use constantly and then use that medium to connect with their employees.

Collection of Employee's Data

To offer a suitable wellness program, employers have to collect the employee data such as their health-related problems, toxication habits, lifestyle, etc. Now, with the help of technology, employers can collect their employee’s data online on a web portal by asking them to access it using their official credentials.

Also, it is important to keep that data anonymous to make employees believe that they can trust the organization with their personal information. It is because in case the data of any of the employees gets out in the public then it can hamper their image as other people would start looking at them differently. Hence make sure that their data is safe and secure.

Keeping A Track

In order to offer a suitable wellness program, employers have to keep a track of their employees health whether it is getting better or deteriorating. Employers can track wellness in a couple of ways.

One is by using a wellness portal which is an excellent option as it will provide some control to the employees to update their wellness activity. Portals also integrate with reporting tools so that the management can keep a check on how the wellness program is going on in the organization.

Another way to keep track is by using the functionality tablets offer to wellness program events. Whether you use the data recording at the biometric screening, health fair tablet check-in or any other way tablet is used by the employees. Tablets can be great at tracking wellness programs.

It does not matter how you track wellness, technology offers the kind of accuracy that the employees can not provide. The lesser number of people that have to keep a track of health data the better it will be.

Use of Technology in Wellness Encouragement

One of the trendiest and smartest techs in the market is wearable fitness tracking devices such as smartwatches. People who wear these watches are more likely to take their health seriously and keep themselves on track to achieve their fitness goals.

Since providing wearables to the employees can be motivating yet expensive for the organization, the HR group of the organization can send emails to remind employees to get up and take a walk every now and then or send a healthy recipe that they can use to cook and eat. So make sure to reach out to your employees for their feedback and try to know how encouraged and empowered they feel after becoming a part of a wellness program.

Conclusion

As I stated at the start of this article, we live in a digital era and employers have all the tools necessary to offer the wellness program in the best way possible. Now it is up to the employers how they can utilize technology and these tools to give their employees the best experience possible.