This episode of Quality Matters examines the growing role of digital wellness and chronic condition management programs and the challenge of measuring what truly matters.

Host Rachel Harrington is joined by Peter Robertson of the Purchasing Business Group on Health and California Quality Collaborative and Kevin Masci of Omada Health to discuss how digital health solutions can help address rising healthcare costs, workforce shortages and fragmented care experiences.

Peter and Kevin explain why meaningful engagement goes far beyond app downloads and login counts. Instead, successful programs focus on sustained participation, patient-centered goal setting, integration with primary care and measurable improvements in health outcomes. The conversation explores how employers, health plans and providers are evaluating digital solutions through clinical outcomes, patient-reported outcomes, utilization measures and value-based contracting arrangements.

The guests also discuss one of the most important challenges facing digital health: trust. Privacy, transparency, data security and clear communication about how patient data is collected and used all play critical roles in long-term adoption.

The episode concludes with a Patient Voice segment featuring Brandee Hicks, who shares her firsthand experiences using digital health tools, highlighting both the convenience they offer and the ongoing challenges around interoperability, digital literacy and maintaining support after programs end.

Highlights

Beyond Logins and Clicks

Meaningful engagement isn't about how often patients open an app. It’s about helping people achieve their health goals through sustained participation and measurable outcomes.

Measuring What Matters

Guests discuss the growing use of clinical outcomes, patient-reported outcomes, utilization data and value-based contracting to assess digital health program performance.

Trust Is Essential

Digital health solutions must address concerns around privacy, transparency, data security and how patient information is stored and shared.

The Patient Perspective

Brandee Hicks shares how digital tools can improve organization, access and self-management while also revealing gaps in continuity, support and interoperability.

Looking Ahead

The future of digital health depends on better integration with primary care, more personalized engagement strategies and stronger measurement frameworks that prioritize patient outcomes.

Key Quote:

"If we're really serious about improving health outcomes, we have to move beyond measuring clicks and logins. The real question is whether people are achieving meaningful progress toward their health goals—and whether these programs are creating lasting value for patients, providers and purchasers alike."

— Kevin Masci

Time Stamps:

(02:20) Meet Peter Robertson

(03:45) Meet Kevin Masci

(05:53) Why Digital Solutions Matter

(10:01) Care Coordination, Not Care Fragmentation

(11:52) Defining Meaningful Patient Engagement

(15:07) Why Consistent Measurement Matters

(18:32) Measuring Outcomes in Value-Based Contracts

(21:12) Data Stratification, Risk Adjustment and Performance Guarantees

(27:22) Privacy, Trust and Transparency in Digital Health

(30:44) The Future of Digital Wellness and Chronic Care Management

(35:08) Patient Voice: Brandee Hicks

(40:25) Patient Challenges, Access and Continuity of Care

(45:23) Key Takeaways and Closing Thoughts

Dive Deeper:

Connect with Peter Robertson

Connect with Kevin Masci

Connect with Brandee Hicks

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