A digital health management platform is making waves in diabetes care and could help members with other care needs.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS

Blue Shield of California has been providing members access to Wellvolution, a digital health management platform

The platform offers access to resources for diabetes management as well as mental/behavioral health and other care concerns.

BSC officials say the care management tool gives members more control over how they manage their health and wellness and is leading to improved care outcomes.

Blue Shield of California is seeing positive results from a digital health tool designed to give members access to a broad range of health and wellness resources.

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In a partnership with Solera Health, BSC members have access to Wellvolution, which offers holistic and lifestyle medicine services such as diabetes care management, weight management, mental and behavioral health, hypertension management, musculoskeletal health and tobacco cessation services.

The aim of the program is to tackle these chronic conditions by teaching sustainable healthy habits through personal coaching and education. Some of the services provide tools for members such as glucometers, exercise trackers, nicotine replacement therapy or a blood pressure monitor to track progress.

Solera Health officials say Wellvolution has seen positive results across the board. According to the company, after using Wellvolution, participants reported:

• A 74% improvement in treatment for moderate to severe depression.
• A 71% improvement in treatment for moderate to severe anxiety symptoms.
• A 49% decrease in the use of diabetes-related medications.

The Innovation Picture

According to Angie Kalousek Ebrahimi, senior director of lifestyle medicine at Blue Shield of California, the health plan has positioned itself as a digital health innovator with numerous virtual care programs, Ebrahimi told HealthLeaders. Broad acceptance of virtual care and digital health tools during the pandemic has helped BSC to push that strategy even further and develop a digital-first mindset.

“I think digital also has the opportunity to sort of simplify things for members that we have in the healthcare space,” she said. “Healthcare is really complicated. We can do something in the digital space that simplifies it.”

A Big Hit To Diabetes

A key element of the platform is diabetes management. Ebrahimi says platforms like these potentially have the power to transform diabetes management across the country and lower the number of Americans who live with the chronic condition.

When individuals are diagnosed with diabetes, they often think of it as a life sentence of monitoring one’s blood sugar and taking medications, and providers may not offer management tools to help their patients understand that process.

When members are given the opportunity to take control of how they manage their diabetes, Ebrahimi says, that’s when results and transformation begin.

“What we've been able to do with that specific condition [diabetes] is let our members know that there is an alternative to support them in their journey,” Ebrahimi said. “And actually, in many cases with the programs that we're offering, members [with type 2 diabetes] are reversing the condition.”

The Power of Control

Part of the success of the Wellvolution platform, Ebrahimi says, is due to members being able to have transparency in their treatment options and have the power to make decisions on their own, with some guidance.

“They can see all of the different programs that we offer to them, " she said. “They can also use an online quiz to find out what programs are going to be best for them.”

“We have already come a long way toward embracing the value of personalized care,” said Solera's interim CEO John Santelli. “The best solutions are the ones that are not only able to deliver high quality care, but which resonate with patients while offering good value for payers.”

Marie DeFreitas is the finance editor for HealthLeaders.

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Source: https://www.healthleadersmedia.com/payer/blue-shield-california-embraces-digital-health-innovation-improve-member-outcomes

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