Maximizing Existing Health Equity Investments through Improved Awareness

Communities across the country are plagued by healthcare disparities that limit access to care and services, and negatively affect outcomes for disadvantaged populations. To address this, the federal government, corporations and charitable organizations have poured upwards of $180 billion over the past two decades into initiatives to advance health equity. Payers, providers, employers and other risk-bearing entities in the healthcare ecosystem have also made significant financial commitments to implement a variety of initiatives designed to mitigate widening disparities. And despite these resources and investments, we’ve only made a nominal impact in the quest to achieve greater health equity. 

The lack of demonstrable progress surrounding health equity is not due to the absence of quality benefits or intervention programs. One of the most significant challenges is connecting the people most in need to the appropriate service offerings. Many of the readily available resources are underutilized and are unable to prove their value because the people who could benefit most are too often unaware of their existence. In order for organizations to see a true return on their existing investments – both financially and in health outcomes – they must improve awareness within target populations. They can do this through more precise outreach, enabling self-sufficiency, and using data to better inform these strategies.  

Become More Precise with Outreach 

Intervention programs must address the specific needs of individuals within a community and tailoring them for the intended population will naturally deliver more value. The same can be said for outreach efforts. If the communications strategy surrounding the availability of these services is poorly defined, then it is highly unlikely they will benefit the people most in need. Unless an organization focuses on directly marketing to disadvantaged patients and members, they’re creating a self-fulfilling prophecy that the investments will fail.

Healthcare organizations must become more precise with how they conduct outreach to improve utilization of existing benefits. This starts with reviewing the communities where the at-risk individuals live, developing a better understanding of why previous efforts have failed and making the necessary adjustments. For example, was the information being disseminated in a culturally competent manner, applicable to the specific population, that can be easily consumed by a person with average-to-below-average health literacy? If the answer is no, then it’s important to collaborate with trusted community leaders who can provide guidance on what materials will resonate best within the neighborhood, identify any nuances that could hinder outreach efforts and serve as a conduit between the community and the service provider.

Commercially insured individuals are one of the areas with the greatest promise. Most employees are unaware of the non-insurance related benefits that are available to them, including services that support financial wellness and counseling, tuition assistance and other programs. Employers are increasingly interested in improving utilization of these benefits, not only because of the positive impact on healthcare cost and engagement, but also because these benefits can reduce absenteeism and presenteeism while improving productivity and retention. 

Ensure Self Sufficiency for the Target Population

Another reason existing investments have struggled to deliver on their stated goals is because individuals are unable to successfully navigate them on their own. The root cause of this issue can often be traced back to the fact 88% of adults in the U.S. have substandard rates of health literacy, defined as the ability to find, understand, and use health information and services to make health-related decisions and actions. Utilization rates remain staggeringly low as a result of this pain point, and many are missing the opportunity to benefit from services that could significantly improve their overall health and well-being.

The healthcare ecosystem relies on people, including frontline workers, clinicians, caregivers, patient and member advocates and more, to improve the quality, accessibility and cost of care. And while a robust social support system has been found to improve health outcomes, programs and services that are easy to identify, understand and utilize without assistance will have a much greater impact. Healthcare leaders should reevaluate existing benefits and offerings through a lens that ensures self-sufficiency among target populations and make the necessary adjustments to simplify the navigation process. By reducing this inherent obstacle that deters individuals from seeking care, organizations can increase utilization and improve outcomes for their members and patients.

Leverage Data and Analytics to Realize Greater ROI

Health equity cannot be improved for a community – and especially not for a country – by only operating on a one-to-one basis. The populations facing the greatest inequities are often those who are furthest removed from the healthcare system. This disconnect creates visibility gaps into what’s truly impacting the health outcomes within a community. For organizations to generate a true return on their investments, they must leverage data and analytics to generate a holistic view and match market resources with community and individual needs. This must include broadening the socioeconomic aperture beyond individual screening and incorporating more than just clinical and claims data into decision-making processes. It’s the only way for payers, providers and others to improve accessibility awareness at scale. 

It is clear that we must do a better job supporting people and communities throughout their health journey to ensure better outcomes. There is a renewed interest and emphasis across the country in eliminating health disparities, and to quickly turn that interest into action, the first step should be extracting as much value as possible from existing programs. The recipe for success is fairly simple: make sure people are aware that the programs designed for them exist and know how to use them. Putting those words into practice can be more difficult, but data is the key. 

Substantial investments in health equity initiatives will fail, and negatively impact the ability to direct future investments, without a thoughtful approach moving forward. It is incumbent upon payers, providers, life science organizations, government entities and others to be deliberate with how they solve the health equity problem, scale existing solutions and grow them to support future generations.