The team-based program connects employees with health professionals to better manage an often-dismissed threat
Health Solutions by Shoppers Drug Mart, a division of the well-known health and medical retail brand, has launched a team-based health coaching program for employers to address a critical workplace wellness gap.
The new program offers phone- or video chat-based access to nurses, pharmacists, and dietitians who can help employees with chronic diseases better manage their conditions in their daily lives.
“The impact of chronic disease in the workplace can be invisible and is often significantly underestimated,” said Mark Rolnick, vice president of Payor Partnerships and Plan Sponsor Innovation at Shoppers Drug Mart. “It can have a real impact on an employee's well-being, engagement and productivity, which affects both the individual and the organization as a whole.”
Over half of Canadian adults reportedly suffer from at least one chronic condition, which have to be treated or managed with lifestyle changes (such as nutrition and physical activity) as well as daily medications. However, studies have shown time and time again that many people struggle to maintain such habits or routines, which ultimately results in their condition getting worse — and, more often than not, higher healthcare costs for their employers.
But a growing body of research points to team-based health coaching as a solution. Based on this evidence, as well as the findings of a successful pilot project conducted by Shoppers Drug Mart in 2018 involving five Canadian employers, the Health Solutions program was launched.
“Our health coaching program is a turnkey, affordable strategy for employers and their employees,” Rolnick said.
Available for employers as a complement to their health benefits plan, the program is focused on employees diagnosed with diabetes, heart disease, and/or obesity. Employees enrolled in the program can work with specially trained nurses to create a care plan; the nurses can also participate in and help coordinate on-going coaching services with pharmacists and dietitians as required. The service includes coordination with the employee’s existing pharmacy and healthcare provider team as appropriate.
“More than 80% of employees with chronic disease say they would like to know more about their condition and how to treat it,” Rolnick said. “We are excited to work with insurers and employers to help close this gap and provide their employees with more of the day-to-day support they are looking for.”
