The major determinants of good health lie outside of the healthcare system.
Health and well-being are shaped by a wide array of influences like where we are born, live, work, learn and play. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identifies five social determinants of health that include: 1.) access to quality healthcare and 2.) education, 3.) social and community support, 4.) economic stability and 5.) the built environment.
At the center of improving outcomes for individuals and communities — are community centers that offer programs to address the health and well-being of local residents. With a plethora of programs and activities, it can be challenging for centers to educate members on all that’s available to them.
Here are three steps that can help community centers attract, engage, and keep community members on track
Step One: Provide motivating educational programs
When it comes to improving their health and well-being, people are often excited to learn, make changes and get involved in health, fitness and social programs. However, keeping members hooked long-term is a challenge. With the help of digital wellness solutions, community centers can elevate their in-person programs and services. How? By launching personalized online educational courses that are geared toward keeping members engaged. These easy-to-activate offerings can provide personalized, on-demand content that addresses the individual needs of members, without requiring a staff member to deliver the information, and are accessible at their convenience.
Step Two: Automate program reminders and support
The excitement to make positive changes tends to be high at the beginning of someone’s fitness or wellness journey. Then, as life gets in the way, old habits creep back in and progress slows, this initial spark of motivation fades. So, how can community centers help members keep that engagement spark alive to meet their health and wellness goals? Automation.
With the ability to automate personalized content, messaging and reminders, community centers can bridge the gap between in-person and at-home experiences. Do you have members wanting to improve their nutrition, sleep, stress management? You can now automate the delivery of individualized content, program reminders and messages of support that fuel member knowledge, track progress and encourage them to stay engaged.
Step Three: Give them easy digital tools to use
Community centers have the power to help people improve their quality of life. But they are only effective if programs and learning opportunities are easily accessible. This can be accomplished with the right digital tools.
As community centers juggle managing in-person programming and administrative tasks, digital wellness tools — like Engagement Rx — can be leveraged to keep members engaged in their health and wellness journeys. A few key benefits include:
- Offering on-demand, microlearning content and short courses that make it easy for members to learn how to make positive changes without becoming overwhelmed.
- Providing discrete communication and learning options that help members feel supported and secure in addressing their health and wellness needs and goals in a safe, private and convenient way.
- Giving staff members a convenient mechanism for automating the delivery of program content, messages of encouragement and progress tracking.
- Facilitating additional program offerings and opportunities for digital engagement that inspire members to stay motivated and increase wellness program retention.
With the ability to automate, and deliver, personalized digital education offerings, reminders and messages of support, community centers can help members stay on track to meet goals long after their initial excitement has waned.
For more on how digital wellness offerings and automation can help community centers connect with members to improve their health and well-being, contact our team.
