This past year marked the big push towards a digital transformation among many of the top carriers in a way of aggregating information and representing it easily, visually and in a personalized way. Telehealth saw an explosion in popularity for its convenience factor and immediacy, which shows how four of the top carriers all made major strides in the digital direction thinking bigger and strategically.

Here’s a quick snapshot of what some providers are doing to invest in a digital transformation.

Great-West Life piloting a new virtual health-care pilot project

Great-West Life launched a new virtual health-care pilot project launched in partnership with Dialogue, members can connect virtually with a team of medical professionals anywhere, anytime. These professionals can help diagnose several conditions, provide medical advice, make referrals to specialists or write a prescription – saving a great deal of time.

Manulife partners with tech firms to think big

Manulife came in with a much bigger picture in mind as they rolled out five new pilot projects. In partnership with Vitech Systems Group Inc., these initiatives focus on key aspects of the health-care cycle: access to care, diagnostics and treatment., focus on mental health and virtual cognitive behavioural therapy.

Manulife also partnered with Akira, a Canadian leader in digital health to increase Canadians’ access to on-demand, virtual medical consults. The main aim of this collaboration is working to decrease absenteeism by delivering a healthcare solution that provides employees with 24/7 access to virtual health care providers, as part of their employee benefits plans.

Green Shield Canada has a ‘value-based pharmacy program’

Green Shield Canada made a big effort towards addressing the gaping holes in our health-care system, such as the gaps in mental-health treatment or the lack of accountability for health outcomes. Pharmacists across the country now have access to a monthly scorecard telling them how they did on certain health outcome metrics through their value base pharmacy program. Green Shield Canada plan members can also access a five-star Pharmacy Quality Rating online, so they can see the quality of care provided by their pharmacy.

Sun Life Financial gave their mobile app a refresh

Sun Life Financial has been making an effort in recent years to address Canada’s growing mental-health crisis by piloting a virtual cognitive behavioural therapy program in partnership with the University of Regina. According to Benefits Canada, members can do everything from quickly checking coverage, reviewing plan balances, finding and review health-care providers, submitting claims, and manage workplace savings. This allows them to make a complete shift from the paper-backed employee booklet towards a customizable and digestible digital resource.