TORONTO —  Employers can help fill a gap in health care for employees with chronic diseases by adding health coaching services to their health benefits plan. To help make this happen, Health Solutions by Shoppers Drug Mart has launched a team-based health coaching program for employers that connects employees—by phone or video chat—with nurses, pharmacists and/or dietitians so that they can better manage their conditions in their daily lives.

More than half of Canadian adults have at least one chronic condition, which means that lifestyle changes (e.g., nutrition, physical activity) as well as daily medications can be critical for successful treatment. However, studies repeatedly show that many people struggle to maintain treatment, which ultimately can lead to a worsening of their condition and higher healthcare costs, often paid for by their employer.

“The impact of chronic disease in the workplace can be invisible and is often significantly underestimated. 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,” says Mark Rolnick, vice president of Payor Partnerships and Plan Sponsor Innovation at Shoppers Drug Mart. “Our health coaching program is a turnkey, affordable strategy for employers and their employees.”

The solution, according to a growing number of research studies, is team-based health coaching. The Health Solutions health coaching program builds upon this growing medical evidence, as well as learnings from a successful pilot project conducted by Shoppers Drug Mart in 2018 involving five Canadian employers.

Offered by employers, the program is focused on helping employees who have been diagnosed with diabetes, heart disease, and/or obesity. Specially trained nurses work with employees to create a care plan, and to help coordinate on-going coaching services from nurses, pharmacists and/or 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. 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,” says Rolnick. “This program ultimately has the potential to considerably decrease health care costs faced by employers by providing the tools and resources employees need to successfully maintain treatment of chronic diseases.”