A recent report from the Department of Health Management and Health Economics at the University of Oslo shows that health insurance is helping to reduce absence due to illness amongst Norwegian businesses.
“The number of Norwegians needing health services in the years to come is expected to rise, while at the same time health insurance is helping to reduce absence due to illness. A key part of our strategy is to use digitalisation to lower the threshold for the introduction of high-quality health services through simpler, better and more user-friendly health insurance,” says Bjarke Thorøe, CEO of Storebrand Helseforsikring.
Together with its new digital partner, Knowit, Storebrand Helseforsikring is now working to offer even more seamless services built around users’ needs.
“We were the first to offer digital solutions. Today, we think digitally regardless of what we are doing. In the summer, we will release a completely new version of the “Bli frisk” (Get better) app which we launched four years ago. The key is to get users started with treatment sooner and back to work faster. It is here that digital services will play a key role,” says Thorøe.
MORE SERVICES, NEARER
There is much evidence to suggest that the way we interact with technology will change dramatically over the next five to ten years. Artificial intelligence will make services available to more people and impact on the experience of being a patient in the Norwegian health service.
“New platforms for dialogue, augmented and virtual solutions will contribute to a more natural and personal interaction in the digital world. Together with Knowit, we are now studying scenarios where artificial intelligence is creating new ways of interacting. The cornerstone is data,” says Bjarke Thorøe.
With the “Bli frisk” app, Storebrand Helseforsikring can customise the user experience with relevant services adapted to the user’s gender, age and lifestyle based on services and data. All data will be processed in accordance with the new General Data Protection Regulation, which is set to enter into force soon.
SELF-SERVICE MEANS FASTER REPLIES
With the launch of the new “Bli frisk” app, users will be able to book appointments for physical treatment entirely through self-service services. By focussing on the link between the physical and digital world, Storebrand Helseforsikring aims to create natural and personal experiences over the coming years. In such a context, what are known as ‘chatbots’ are a low-threshold service.
“We are good at googling symptoms on the internet, but what about a chatbot which offers you advice based on your symptoms? This is the direction we are looking to take in the future,” says Thorøe.
DIGITAL IS A WAY OF THINKING
Storebrand Helseforsikring’s job is to facilitate and collate relevant services so that customers experience a more seamless range of services. It is a question of us gathering “everything together in one place” with a strong focus on patient safety, personal privacy and data security. The focus is on profitable growth together with our partners. With the aid of digitalisation, Knowit has developed solutions for stakeholders in many different sectors. Today, many millions of people across the Nordic region use these services every single day.
“Our joint ambition is to bring about a better relationship between people, businesses, things, content and services. If we can do that, we will have succeeded,” says Bjarke Thorøe.