Health apps cut healthcare costs sharply

The use of mobile health apps reduces healthcare costs by about 5 percent. Users mainly make less use of primary and specialist medical care. This is the finding of researchers at the University of Groningen/UMCG based on multi-year research among more than 15,000 people.

Subject of research is the SamenGezond program of health insurer Menzis. This program relies on the deployment of an app of the same name. The app not only allows users to measure their physical activity in a low-threshold way, but also helps them increase their knowledge and provides access to coaching.

Cost reduction

The cost of healthcare use among app users, according to the study, drops 4.9 percent in the first year. In the second year, this cost decrease is as much as 5.3 percent. This is due to the growing frequency of use, according to the researchers. Incorporating new habits takes time. Based on this insight, the researchers believe that the gains from health apps could be even greater over time.

Better disease management

The main savings are made in primary care and specialist medical care. A large part of the burden of disease in these areas is due to chronic conditions. Health apps enable patients to manage their disease better. Thus, they need to visit the doctor less often. In addition, app users make less use of medical devices.

Psychological support

On the other hand, the use of health apps is associated with higher reliance on basic mental health care and higher use of additional medication. Yet this increase is dwarfed by the total cost savings. In this regard, the researchers point to growing health awareness. This causes people to seek psychological help at an early stage. According to the researchers, this has a dampening effect on total treatment costs. The researchers trace the higher costs for medication to higher use of supplements such as vitamins and deliberate choice of branded medication not covered by basic insurance.

Sustainable behavioral change

All in all, the study underscores the potential of digital lifestyle interventions in preventive healthcare, according to the researchers. "Although health apps are not a replacement for medical care, the results show that they can be a valuable complement by helping people make sustainable behavioral changes," Elena Agachi, Jochen Mierau, Koert van Ittersum and Tammo Bijmolt note. "By promoting healthier lifestyles, we can not only improve individual health, but also reduce pressure on healthcare and realize cost savings."

Lack of money and support

Piquant detail: despite the benefits cited by researchers, Menzis discontinued SamenGezond in early 2024 due to lack of support and funding. "With SamenGezond, we gained a lot of knowledge and insights and were therefore able to support participants in achieving health improvements. We are really proud of that," said Marc Collast, manager of Care and Health Journey at Menzis, explaining the decision. "At the same time, we also note that initiatives around prevention and lifestyle need broader social support. That also applies to their financing."

Acting together

Part of the solution to this problem lies in joint action by health insurers. For this reason, Zorgverzekeraars Nederland (ZN) recently launched the Digital Health Apps project. As part of this, three widely used apps can rely on financial and practical support in the coming year .