Health tech for a fitter workforce
UK-based private medical insurance provider AXA PPP healthcare has revealed the findings of its third annual State of the Nation Survey, which discovered that health tech could be the key to a fitter, healthier workforce.
The survey, which is a feature of the company’s Health Tech & You initiative, jointly undertaken with the Design Museum and 2020Health, questioned over 2,000 adults. It found that 57 per cent of the British workforce would be open to monitoring their health with technology at work as long as their employer supplied a device to do so. This rose to 63 per cent if employers offered workers both the device and a financial bonus for wearing it at work.
Additionally, the majority of respondents said that they want to ‘get and keep fit’ with encouragement from their boss. However, only five per cent of workers said they have already been provided with health tech by employers.
AXA PPP Healthcare said that one of the most surprising findings of the survey is that employees aren’t shy about sharing their health data with their employers to help them improve the health and wellbeing of the workforce.
Dr Chris Tomkins, head of proactive health at AXA PPP healthcare, shared his thoughts on the benefits of health tech. “The increased use of health tech within the workplace could so easily be a win-win for both employer and employee,” he said. “For the first time it is possible to support an individual throughout their journey from better understanding of their health to actual improvements through smart digital platforms. Furthermore, there are often staff schemes with open platforms that enable individuals to use and share information from their own personal devices, ensuring their contribution is recognised.”
He went on to highlight the importance of reassuring individuals about how their data is used: “Of course, some individuals are naturally concerned about how their data is used and employers are keen to have a clear separation between themselves and such personal data. Therefore, both employer and employee could benefit from the expertise of using an independent third-party provider who can ensure privacy.”