Employee healthcare delivery has seen tremendous growth over the past several years—and still, utilization of virtual care options still hovers at just 20%.
According to PMC, employer-sponsored telemedicine appointments skyrocketed by 766% between 2020 and 2022. However, current data reveals that engagement is plateauing, despite more solutions coming to market than ever before.
While virtual care stands as a cornerstone of modern benefits packages, many organizations struggle to drive meaningful participation with digital health resources. But contrary to popular belief, the problem doesn’t lie with quality of resources, or even the availability of appointment scheduling.
Instead, it all comes down to getting employees to utilize virtual care options when they need them most—and with individual needs and preferences as diverse as workforces themselves, there isn’t a hard-and-fast answer to effectively engaging everyone.
Fortunately, with a dynamic engagement strategy that speaks to your workforce’s unique needs, you can breathe life into any wellness resource. Let's take a look at some approaches that are proven to boost virtual care adoption and motivate employees to embrace critical health solutions.
Making Virtual Care Matter: How to Speak to Diverse Populations
From virtual therapy and primary care to nutritional counseling and physical therapy, individuals can now access any type of care they need from anywhere in the world.
And while this has led to significant lifestyle improvements and even chronic care management, many patients are still hesitant to click the “Schedule” button.
To understand where the gaps are in boosting engagement, it helps to first analyze who’s engaging—and why. For example, those earning less than $25,000 yearly display substantial involvement at 26.4%, while individuals located in the Northeast and West (~25%) outpace Midwestern populations (18.7%) in service utilization, particularly in urban areas.
So, what’s resonating with these populations? For starters, technical hurdles affect specific populations disproportionately, especially seniors and rural communities. Among those 75 and older, just 43.5% opt for video-enabled sessions, with most choosing audio-only alternatives.
Video-based virtual visits also see lower uptake among Hispanic, Black, and Asian communities compared to White populations. Additionally, educational background plays a big role—those who haven’t completed high school show 64.2% audio-only usage, contrasting with 33.3% for Bachelor's degree holders.
Other key obstacles to consider when assessing why certain populations are using virtual care benefits more than others include:
- Device availability and digital literacy gaps
- Data protection worries
- Communication challenges for non-English speakers
- Medical staff resistance to new virtual methods
Impact on Healthcare Costs
You don’t need to do too much research to discover the financial advantages of virtual care benefits, both for providers and patients alike.
Take one small example—a recent study of 25,000 completed telehealth appointments highlighted mean total cost savings ranging from $147.40 to $186.10 per virtual consultation. By eliminating travel needs, virtual care saves roughly 75,055 hours in commuting time plus 29,626 hours typically spent in clinics, translating to $1.17 million in productivity savings.
But in addition to tangible cost savings, organizations also gain operational advantages by maximizing virtual care utilization. Individuals report greater satisfaction with primary care doctors and specialists when experienced virtually, and keeping everything digital enables smarter patient routing and resource use, potentially lowering unnecessary emergency visits.
Matching Your Virtual Care Benefits to Your Population
To reap the benefits of virtual care offerings, it’s critical that organizations carefully evaluate their employees’ care preferences to source the right solutions and boost utilization.
It’s impossible to find a one-size-fits-all virtual care solution that can cater to all employees equitably. But no matter what, employees are more likely to buy into virtual care when they have the power to voice their care needs and recommendations—and know that their program administrators are listening.
Building trust with employees through digital health services demands clear outreach and education. Let's explore how companies can design communication approaches that resonate with diverse workforce while safeguarding sensitive information.
Start with Communication
Digital outreach serves as the foundation for connecting employees with virtual health options.
With 41% of healthcare providers seeking expanded digital communication methods, companies must establish multiple touchpoints:
- Secure portals offering real-time scheduling and updates
- Print materials reaching employees preferring traditional formats
- Text message alerts showing 80-90% read rates compared to email's 30%
Timing and personalization shape virtual care engagement success. Tailored messaging addressing individual health priorities is key for organizations of all sizes, so employees can see themselves reflected in their offerings.
Enhance with Training
Education helps employees navigate virtual health platforms confidently—even if they’re already tech-savvy.
Providing programs that answers common questions and provides healthcare literacy boosts proficiency from 21.8% to 42.4%, keeping employees up-to-date as technology evolves. Essential courses include:
- Technology skill building
- Data protection education
- Platform functionality guidance
- Language support services
Boost Virtual Care Adoption, Watch Health Soar
While digital health solutions bring substantial advantages for organizations, mounting challenges with employee participation indicate untapped possibilities. Organizations coupling comprehensive initiatives with secure virtual care frameworks witness markedly improved results—and healthier, happier workforces.
Ready to get your workforce more acquainted with your virtual care solutions? Reach out to learn how building trust through sustained engagement can help your organization achieve better health outcomes while managing expenses effectively.
