Improving health outcomes and engagement with tech

Healthy habits can be hard to sustain, however technology is proving to be a positive force for change. AIA Australia explores what this means for insurers and super funds.

AIA has found that Australians are not afraid of adopting technology to aid their health and wellbeing but are having trouble staying focused on their use.

The findings are part of the latest AIA Healthy Living Index Survey, the fourth since 2011, which highlights the prevailing health trends, motivations and concerns for individuals and communities across Asia-Pacific.

Understanding the role of technology in people’s attempts to create healthy habits was a new objective for the 2018 study. Findings from this additional research provided insight on how Australians use technology to improve their health and wellbeing – which as a result, can help us to improve member engagement.

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Over half (53%) of all respondents in Australia consider health and activity tracking technology to be easy to use and 49% of those think these devices motivate positive changes in behaviour. That said, more than half (58%) who have tried such trackers have since stopped using them.

AIA Australia and New Zealand Chief Executive Damien Mu, a keen supporter of regular exercise and a user himself of technology to help track his daily habits, says that it is good news that Australians are making the most of the technology available to them. He adds that there is more to be done to help them stick to their goals.

“At AIA Australia, we actively promote health and wellbeing for our members and we constantly work to help close the gap between early adoption of health practices into ongoing maintenance of those practices,” he says.

“Our health and wellbeing program AIA Vitality supports education and awareness about the state of members’ health and provides incentives to encourage ongoing healthier choices. It aims to help people, for example to increase physical activity, assess mental wellbeing and improve nutrition habits.”

Another layer to wellbeing is financial health. With many Australians being disengaged with their super, it’s important to find new opportunities to add more value to our members’ lives. As a useful engagement tool linking life, health and wellbeing, the AIA Vitality program is just one example of this.

By identifying new ways to utilise technology we may be able to break down the barriers to engagement, build stronger relationships with our members and ultimately help them to live healthier, longer, better lives.

Read the full AIA Healthy Living Index Survey results.