Wellness programs aren't a new idea, but they're becoming increasingly effective thanks to the application of game-mechanics that increase user engagement and reward participation. We look at how gamification can take your wellness program to the next level, along with case studies and best practices.

1. WHY GAMIFICATION
IS TAKING OVER
WELLNESS
PROGRAMS
A Presentation by

2. Chapter 1
Why Wellness
Programs Need
Gamification
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3. More companies are employing gamified
wellness programs than ever before.
73% of employers have a health engagement
strategy for their employees
63% are employing game elements with their
programs
70 of the top 100 companies in the U.S. are adding
Gamification to their wellness programs

4. WHY?
Gamification increases
engagement, and wellness
programs improve health.

5. The U.S. currently spends 17% of its Gross Domestic
Product on Healthcare, one of the highest percentages in
the world1 , not to mention…
75%
of US health spending
goes to treating
chronic conditions
7 in 10
deaths in the US each
year are caused by
chronic conditions
Sources:
1: http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.XPD.TOTL.ZS
2:http://www.rwjf.org/en/topics/rwjf-topic-areas/prevention.html
$10
a person per year
invested in prevention
could save billions

6. This is a failure of the system. Many chronic diseases
like diabetes and heart disease are largely
preventable. Healthier habits are a way to reverse this
growing trend.
ENTER:
WELLNESS PROGRAMS

7. Employers should
implement wellness
programs because...

8. A majority of Americans will receive insurance
through their employers by 2016.
Source:http://www.washingtonpost.com/posttv/video/inplay/everything-to-know-about-obamacarein-2minutes/2013/10/04/469ae328-26d5-11e3-b3e9-d97fb087acd6_video.html

9. There’s financial incentive
Research estimates that employers can create
excellent ROI by saving up to
$3 on their healthcare costs
for
every $1 spent on employee
wellness programs.
Source: http://www.ifebp.org/AboutUs/PressRoom/Releases/Wellness+Programs+Benefit+the+Bottom+Line.htm

10. There’s also government incentive
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
allows employers to provide a 20% discount on premiums to employees who meet certain criteria for staying
healthy and preventing disease.
The ACA increases this discount to 30% for group health
plans.
Source: http://www.nciom.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/PR_Provisions_Full.pdf.

11. Employers should also care about
wellness programs because
employees like them.

12. Numbers Don’t Lie
66% of employees who were involved in at-work
wellness programs were extremely or very satisfied
with their group employee benefits
67% of employees engaged in worksite wellness
believed their employer takes care of them
87% of job candidates consider wellness programs when choosing an employer
Source: http://www.corpsyn.com/knowledgecenter/articles/gamification.html#.Uv5DWvldU6U

13. So, offering employees wellness
programs makes them happier.

14. And when employees participate in wellness programs, it
saves companies money.

15. But, traditional wellness programs have problems...
> Lack of milestones
> No positive reinforcement
> No social encouragement
Source: http://www.infosys.com/infosys-labs/publications/Documents/gamification/how-to-make-healthcarewellness-programs-more-effective.pdf

16. ...that lead to:
low motivation and
low engagement rates

17. So, how do companies
make the most of their wellness
programs?

18. GAMIFICATION

19. Chapter 2
Case Studies
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20. Ochsner + Virgin HealthMiles
Ochsner operates seven
hospitals and 35 clinics in southeastern Louisiana
Virgin HealthMiles is a gamification
department of the Virgin Group

21. Program
1) Employees track daily steps with a pedometer
and upload them to an electronic journal
2) An in-office kiosk also lets employees measure
and track their body fat percentage, weight and
blood pressure
3) Employees progress through Rewards levels and
earn either retail credit or cash

22. Results
50%
After one year, over
of employees had
reached Rewards Level 3 and received a discount on
their premiums
Having steadily risen for years, Ochsner’s insurance
claims fell by
5%
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/28/business/28unbox.html?ref=business&_r=0

23. St. Lawrence College + Keas
One of Ontario’s leading community colleges, with a student population of 6,700
Keas is a California-based
gamification vendor that
designs corporate wellness
programs

24. Program
1) Employees formed teams that were ranked on a
public leaderboard
2) Each week participants would set three wellness
goals to achieve, which they could share with their
teammates on Keas’s social media feed
3) Completed tasks received points and moved
teams up the leaderboard

25. Results
280 of 324 registered participants lost weight
82% said Keas made them feel more positive
about working for St. Lawrence
88% said Keas’s platform improved teamwork and
collaboration
38% reported a reduction in their stress levels
Source: http://info.keas.com/rs/keas/images/Keas-CS-St-Lawrence.pdf

26. Blue Shield: Wellvolution
Blue Shield of California is a non-profit
health insurer
Wellvolution is Blue Shield’s internal wellness
initiative

27. Program
1) Employees were assigned challenges and given
points for completing them. These points could be
redeemed for rewards
2) Employees were encouraged to share their
results and rewards on social media

28. Results
Employee smoking has decreased by 50%
Employee hypertension has decreased by 66%
Employees are paying a combined $3 million
less per year in insurance premiums

29. More Results
Blue Shield’s disability claims have decreased
by 20% among participating employees (compared with a 60% increase for non participating)
Blue Shield estimated an ROI of $3 : $1 spent
60% increase in employee participation in wellness programs
Source: https://www.blueshieldca.com/sites/premier-accounts/total-health/wellvolution.sp

30. Implementing gamification into
wellness programs benefits
both employees and employers.

31. Chapter 3
Best Practices
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32. Consider this:
> What will motivate your employees?
> How can I make the entire group
involved?
> Which rewards make the most sense?
> What type of feedback do employees
want?

33. Be wary of extrinsic
motivation
Rewarding employees
with financial incentives
can work in the beginning
phases, but without
additional incentives
the effectiveness of
cash or discounts
will fade.

34. Use Intrinsic
Motivation
Use game elements to build a connection between
your employees and their desire to improve themselves. This way their focus remains on their
internal drive rather than purely cash rewards.

35. Build a Community
> Encourage employees to talk about their fitness
goals
> Create group activities that promote interaction
after work

36. Find the
optimal challenge
Humans need a balance between
competence and challenge to stay engaged.
Make sure your wellness program features
gamified elements for all levels of users.

37. Make feedback
Positive & Timely
As soon as employees
complete an activity
and log their progress,
offer them rewards. This
instant feedback builds
a feedback loop and
lays the foundation for
habit-forming behavior.

38. Plan for Cheaters
Wearable technology like FitBit helps keep
employees honest, so no one can log
progress or claim rewards for activities
they didn’t complete.

39. Above all...
MAKE IT FUN

40. Progress: Complete!
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Learn more about gamification
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