Prioritize Point Solutions that Can Simplify Navigation + Coordinate Care to Avoid Fragmentation for Members and Frustration for Providers

In many ways, technology has positively impacted our healthcare system and fueled innovation and improvement. At the same time, technology has also created chaos. As an example, the digital health revolution has produced more than 350,000 new products and services for health plans, providers and employers to evaluate. This has been a driving force behind a proliferation of “point solutions”, defined as programs that are narrow in scope and tackle a single health condition, such as diabetes, congestive heart failure, musculoskeletal, behavioral health, and many others.

There are so many point solutions in the market today that an entire new category of companies has emerged in recent years, offering platforms to aggregate, integrate and organize the litany of standalone products and services that are floating freely across the healthcare space.

We may have seen the worst of this trend. Employers and payers have grown fatigued with the number of point solutions bombarding their organizations. Meanwhile, a significant percentage of digital health companies are running out of cash, driving speculation that we will see major consolidation as a result of companies going out of business, merging or being acquired.

This doesn’t change the fact that as a health plan, you have an incredible number of point solutions to filter as you determine what your members want and need. Also consider that digital health solutions are only one category to consider. Some point solutions are positive additions to your plan and deliver real value. The problem is too many of them create additional fragmentation in the care your members receive and further frustrate providers who are already burned out and overburdened.

As you evaluate these solutions moving forward, here are a few suggestions to help your plan get to the right points.

Point solutions must be designed to easily integrate and connect.

Solutions that operate in a silo or don’t play well with others will only create additional fragmentation in care delivery. They will further hamper the ability of primary care physicians to have a complete picture of each patient and to coordinate care effectively.  Make sure any focused solution you’re considering is able to support a member’s broader care and flow insights back to providers and your plan.

Point solutions must be able to simplify navigation.

Serving a navigational role is important. Point solutions should proactively identify additional needs a member may have and effectively route members to additional resources. Having the attention and engagement of a member is a precious asset. Your plan should make the most of every interaction. Point solutions must be capable of passing the baton to a member’s PCP, specialists, or your care management team as an added source of value.

Point solutions must address a real need.

This must be true for your members and your plan. The days of “nice to have” programs that don’t offer multiple value propositions are over. The most effective point solutions will address major cost and clinical issues for your plan. They will deliver meaningful clinical improvements as well as a financial return on investment. We talk more about this in a recent blog on supplemental benefits.

Point solutions must prove their value.

For every point solution, you must be able to measure the specific value it creates by isolating its performance from other programs your plan is deploying. You should set a high bar for any solution you are considering in this regard. Their measurement methodology should be comprehensive, rigorous and transparent. Additionally, they should be confident enough in their solution to place fees at risk based on their ability to deliver value.

Point solutions must be able to engage.

The death knell for a majority of point solutions is their inability to engage. As a health plan, you know how incredibly challenging it is to consistently reach members, even when you’re offering a program or service they really need. The best point solutions will help you engage your population, versus expecting you to do it for them. Additionally, a high-performing point solution can actually help you drive engagement in other programs. Some even offer the flexibility of focusing on driving that added engagement in your preferred offerings. You should prioritize partners who have a strong engagement strategy and a proven track record reaching those who are eligible for their services.

To sum it all up…

Here’s the bottom line. Many point solutions are one trick ponies, too narrowly focused to meet the demands of today’s environment. You need point solutions that also offer a broader stable of value, not only delivering on their core promises but also creating additional potential for you to positively engage and impact members. Look for the point, and the “double click”, to identify the right solutions for your plan.

At Belle, we offer a focused solution for health plans that delivers a clear value proposition. But from the beginning, we knew that we couldn’t only be a foot care solution. We needed to leverage the relationships we form with members to fuel additional opportunities for our partners. To learn more about how we approach the concept of point, double click, contact us today for a personal consultation.