Whether it’s a stiff neck, a worrying bumporayento smash out 100 burpees before breakfast, there’s a digital service for that. But while these health and wellbeing services are already popular with employers and employees, greater innovation will see them playing an even bigger role in workplace healthcare.
Alongside virtual GPs, employee assistance programmes (EAPs) and physiotherapy services, insurers now offer everything from medical second opinions to live exercise classes. “We provide a wealth of digital health and
wellbeing services, including clinical and self-service prevention tools,” says Saumya Barber, head of proposition development at Unum UK. “Appetite and willingness to use digital services has soared since the pandemic.”
Business is booming
The rate of growth seen during the pandemic may have slowed, but insurers are still reporting impressive utilisation figures. As examples, through its Help@hand service, Unum facilitated more than 137,000 appointments in 2024, including 51,000 mental health appointments, while L&G saw a 71 per cent year-on-year increase for its virtual GP and physiotherapy services.
The stories behind the figures are even more compelling. At L&G, 19 per cent of those using the virtual GP or physio service in 2024 said their condition would have worsened if they’d had to wait. “In one case, someone was advised to go to A&E immediately and was found to have a tumour,” adds James Walker, head of product and proposition – group protection at L&G Retail. “Demand keeps increasing: employees expect digital services and employers want to be able to offer more, especially now more people are working remotely. They’re becoming more of a hygiene factor.”
Instant hit
Several factors are driving the popularity of digital health and wellbeing services. “They deliver instant gratification,” says Carl Chapman, head of marketplace at Ben, a benefits platform. “Everyone loves a virtual GP, especially if you’ve struggled to get an appointment with your own GP.”
Platforms are user-friendly too, bringing together relevant tools and content to deliver a more personalised experience. Barber says technology has been a gamechanger. “Employees feel heard,” she says. “There’s greater integration now so services are more joined up and no one has to keep repeating their story.”
These improvements lead to better outcomes for employees and employers too. As employees can access healthcare quickly and conveniently, there’s less time off work or worrying, and it also encourages more early intervention.
Alongside better outcomes for employees, faster access to treatment also saves money for insurers. Walker says it makes sense to invest in digital services. “Through early intervention and prevention there’s the potential for fewer claims,” he says. “This could lead to lower rates.”
Overload anxiety
They may offer plenty of benefits but there are also pitfalls. The sheer number of digital services on offer to employees has the potential to overwhelm them, leading to lower engagement.
This overload happens in two ways. Firstly, as each provider has a broad range of health and wellbeing services, it can sometimes be difficult to know which is most appropriate. As examples, an employee with a stiff neck might wonder whether a GP or a physiotherapist is the most suitable option while someone feeling stressed at work could find themselves trying to decide whether the EAP, GP or a mindfulness app will help them unwind.
App fatigue is a real concern according to Walker. “We’ve consolidated all the digital services we offer so they’re in one place and easy to access,” he explains. “We also personalise what everyone receives so they get the information and tools that are relevant to them.”
But while providers may have streamlined their offerings, employees and employers are often left befuddled by the sheer volume of digital services they can access across their employee benefits. Careful curation, often by the benefits consultant, is essential to avoid confusion and enhance the management information the chosen services generate.
Financial implications
Although they’re often touted as freebies, digital services are also leading to increased healthcare spend. As well as the potential for greater use due to the ease of access to these services, Chapman says there’s a correlation between virtual GP service usage and diagnostics spend on medical insurance. “If an employee saw their GP, they would be referred into NHS secondary care if any tests were required. With a virtual GP, they’re more likely to be referred to the medical insurance or cash plan if follow-up tests are needed,” he explains.
The risk of inflated costs is also being seen with digital dental apps. Paul Shires, commercial director at Health Shield Friendly Society, says that where these are supported by a network of dentists, it could mean higher costs for treatment and consultation. He explains: “Forty percent of people use NHS dentistry but if someone is signposted to these private dentists, there are cost implications for them and for us as the insurer.”
Clinical value
There’s also a risk that a service doesn’t work or, worse, provides an inaccurate and potentially harmful diagnosis. A study (Patient safety in remote primary care encounters, published in the BMJ Quality & Safety, November 2023) found that while mistakes are rare, there is a risk of patients being underdiagnosed. This risk, it found, increased where the patient had pre-existing conditions or was very young or old.
Insurers are alive to this risk. “It’s essential that we only go through trusted parties,” says Barber. “We have a robust process of due diligence in place when selecting partners: we don’t want to put employees at risk.”
Similarly, as more health and wellbeing apps are developed, providers must ensure that the value of each intervention is properly assessed. “I’m constantly being approached by companies with groundbreaking health and wellbeing apps,” says Shires. “It’s important to cut through the noise and find the ones that really deliver.”
Future evolution
With appropriate safeguards in place, digital services have an even larger role to play in future workplace health. Barber is excited about the growth of population health in this space. “As we understand our users more, we can predict which interventions they might need to prevent more serious health conditions,” she explains.
Future innovations are also likely to straddle the digital and physical space. Home testing is becoming an easy and affordable way to check for different conditions and risks, with options including cancer screening, hormone testing and DNA profiling. The results of these can then be integrated with digital services to provide appropriate information and, where necessary, further health interventions.
Artificial intelligence (AI) also features heavily in the future of workplace health. This is available on apps such as SkinVision, which Health Shield rolled out in 2024, using AI to check employees’ moles, but the potential is massive. Chapman says he’s seeing AI being used to power everything from mental health support to financial advice. “We’re just on the cusp of it,” he says. “At the moment, its application is fairly one dimensional but we could see AI being used to detect health issues, in much the same way that dogs can be trained to smell cancer.”
While technology is set to give employees even greater ability to understand and manage their health, Shires warns against going digital too fast. “It’s important that customers don’t feel digital is the only option,” he says. “Some providers have a triage system for physiotherapy where you have to use the digital service first. We think it’s important to leave that choice to the individual.”
But as digital services become increasingly user-friendly and diverse, their role in empowering employees to understand and manage their health is only set to grow.
