Digital Health Today shines a spotlight on the entrepreneurs, innovators, and organizations that dare to revolutionize healthcare
“We really love this new positioning of high tech meets high touch, to truly change health and well-being.”
~ Dr. Rajiv Kumar
We’ve all heard the numbers regarding the healthcare spend in the United States. When compared to other developed countries, per capita healthcare spending in the US ($9,892 in 2016) is 145 percent higher than the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) median of $4,033, and yet when comparing outcomes and process measures, the US lags behind. In some areas, such as the rates of premature death and disease burden, the U.S. is also not improving as rapidly as other countries, so the gap continues to grow.
Some of the key opportunities to reverse these trends lies in the way employers and employees collaborate and engage in reducing costs. In addition to benefits such as financial savings and optimizing employee benefits, there are additional ways to get a return on the investment such as improved business performance and a great company culture.
In this episode we’re diving into the changing aspects of the employee and employer relationship, and how intrinsic and extrinsic motivation can play a key role in improving health and well-being. My guest is Dr. Rajiv Kumar, Chief Medical Officer and President of the Virgin Pulse Institute.
With the entrepreneurial spirit that seems to embody all Virgin businesses, it won’t surprise you to hear Dr. Kumar joined Virgin Pulse in 2016 after the company he founded was acquired by Virgin. That company was called ShapeUp, and he led the growth of the company from a two-person, dorm-room startup to a global company with over 100 employees, 800 customers, and 2 million participants around the world. During his time at ShapeUp, he pioneered new approaches to leveraging social connections to enhance employee health and well-being, and he also co-authored several peer-reviewed studies on the relationship between social networks and healthy behavior.
Dr. Kumar explains how motivation can lead to new workforce habits, and the unconventional approach that Virgin has to serving their employees.
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