IBCSSocial-Networking

in Employer-Based Wellness Programs

Chronic Health Problems

Chronic diseases are the #1 causes of M&M in industrial world (Obesity, Lung Disease, Diabetes, CAD/CVA)

Most of these diseases are related to behavior (smoking, inactivity, diet)

Large Proportion of them are preventable.

Wellness Programs

Employer’s or insurance co’s sponsor programs to improve wellness through health-living behaviors (exercise, diet, smoking cessation)

Reasons:

1. Improve productivity

2. Lower healthcare costs

3. Enhance your corporate image and long-term interests by promoting health beyond the worksite

4. Help the nation achieve its health objective for the year 2010

Ref: Healthy Workforce 2010: An Essential Health Promotion Sourcebook for Employers, Large and Small*

http://www.prevent.org/images/stories/Files/publications/Healthy_Workforce_2010.pdf

Social Network targeting behavior

Social interactions influence human behavior

Social network identify & represent maps of interactions

Social network targeting could increase cost-effectiveness of health behavior interventions

Market: Workplace Health Programs (2004)

Growth: 7%

Initial Market ValueTotal WHI $41.9b

Target market $5.6b

Total # of WHP (>50 employees)

Smoking cessation &/or phys activity

330,087

126,118

Employee interest in programs

Without animprovement plan

80,186

44,115Initial TargetMarket

Other large & small businesses with <50 employees5.89 million

Competition & IP Status

CompetitionMany companies offer wellness programs

None utilize Christakis’

Social-Network targeting

No direct competitors

Avoid by consulting to wellness programs, insur co

IP

Filed Patent Application 2007

Some prior art

If patent issued in 1-3 years, will be weak, computer business-process patent

Protection thru trade-secreted software & expert-analysis

Business Model

Recommendation: pursue

Path to market: License to start-up

Start-up would be consulting company, initially to:• Insurance Run, Employer-targeted Wellness/Health Program

Use invention to provide more cost-effective wellness and health interventions

Status

Stage of development: Idea/Proof of Concept

Technically feasible? Yes, but will require much work• Technical roadmap:

• Build network analysis requirements (info, importation of data)• Develop software & link to both employer & insurance data• Analyze sample networks with software

Risks:• Can we get sufficient info to build rich networks• Privacy/confidentiality concerns of people’s data• Will Social-Networking targeted interventions work more

effectively?

Go To Market Strategy

Business feasible?• Roadmap:

• Identify and sell to corporate partner• Procure funding from corporate partner• Build analysis tools & do pilot• Prove effectiveness

Identify Insurance Run, Employer-based Wellness Program to partner & pilot• Health insurance (e.g. Harvard Pilgrim, Vanguard, BCBS)

Build SN analysis software and provide consulting services for tailored & SN-targeted intervention• Measure costs and outcomes

Thank you!

Alvin YuHarvard Medical School

Marie-France Hivert, M.D.Massachusetts General Hospital/Clinical Scholars Program

Yuri Maricich, M.D.Harvard Business School

Back up Slides

Challenge: requires change in behavior

• Even with the gold-standard intervention for behaviors change (one-to-one counseling), many individuals are not successful at achieving their goal• For example in the Diabetes Prevention Program, after 3

years of intervention, only 38% of the participants had lost and maintain 7% of weight loss

• Worksite wellness programs have tried to increase and maintain participation or goal achievement by use of incentives (money, raffles, gifts), but there is still a lot a room for improvement

• Cost

Employer-Based Wellness Programs Benefits

Improve productivity1. Attracting superlative workers in a competitive global

marketplace2. Reducing absenteeism/lost time3. Improving on-the-job decision-making and time utilization4. Improving employee morale and fostering stronger

organizational commitments5. Reducing organizational conflict by building a reservoir of

good-will toward management6. Reducing employee turnover

Employer-Based Wellness Programs Benefits

For the employees1. Improve the physical health, stamina, and general

wellbeing

2. Improving their focus at work

3. Increasing job satisfaction and fostering positive outlook on life

4. Bettering relations with co-workers and supervisors

Employer-Based Wellness Programs Benefits

Lower healthcare costs

• Unhealthy behavior cost more• Smokers generated 31% higher claims costs than non-

smokers

• Workers with unhealthy weights had 143% higher hospital inpatient utilization than those with healthy weights

• For each dollar spend on health promotion = 3.35$ save in healthcare expenses

Employer-Based Wellness Programs Benefits

Enhance your corporate image and long-term interests by promoting health beyond the worksite

1. Building a healthy community (pool of healthy future employees, current employees and family healthier)

2. Demonstrating social responsibility

3. Building public goodwill and a reputation as a good corporate citizen

4. Directly and indirectly promoting the health of company employees, retirees, employees’ families, consumers, and/or service providers- all of whom can have an impact on a business’ long-term success

Employer-Based Wellness Programs Benefits

Help the nation achieve its health objective for the year 2010

1. Have 75% of employers offering a wellness program

2. Have 75% of employees participating in wellness program when available on worksite

Recommendations for major focus of wellness programs should be• Tobacco use

• Alcohol/drug use

• Physical inactivity

• Overweight/obesity