Hospital leaders seeking to implement a digital wellness program for their organization face a critical choice: picking a provider whose platform can truly meet their needs. A well-designed wellness platform can improve employee health, boost productivity, and reduce healthcare costs.
However, not all solutions are created equal—especially in a hospital setting that demands clinical rigor, data security, and high engagement. To make an informed decision, leaders should evaluate prospective vendors against several key criteria.
Let’s explore the essential areas to consider, along with example questions to ask each prospective provider.
Selecting a Digital Health Platform: Key Questions for Hospital Leaders
Choosing a wellness platform for your hospital is more than a tech decision—it’s a strategic investment in workforce health. Asking the right questions about functionality, flexibility, and clinical credibility is key to finding a platform that supports your people and your mission.
Platform Features
A hospital’s wellness platform must offer robust capabilities to address the full spectrum of employee well-being. First, confirm that the platform's features are comprehensive. Look for core functionalities such as health risk assessments, fitness and nutrition tracking, educational content, and interactive challenges with rewards. Leading wellness solutions now consider these features "must-haves" and essential to engage users. It’s also important that the platform covers multiple dimensions of health (physical, mental, emotional, and even financial wellness), rather than focusing narrowly on step counts or diet alone.
Key questions to ask:
- “Which health areas and wellness activities does your platform address?"
Ensure the vendor’s solution goes beyond basic fitness to include mental health support, stress management, nutrition, and any other domains relevant to your workforce. - “What tools does the platform provide for engaging users and tracking their progress?”
Verify that it includes features like a personalized health risk assessment, self-monitoring tools (e.g., for weight, exercise, or biometrics), and gamification elements such as team challenges or point systems. The platform should be able to sync with popular fitness trackers and apps (Fitbit, Apple Watch, etc.) for automatic data tracking, while also offering manual input options for those without wearables.
Ease of Use and Accessibility
Even the most feature-rich wellness platform will fall flat if it’s cumbersome or confusing for staff to use. Ease of use is especially critical in hospitals, where employees work fast-paced, demanding jobs and may access the program on the go. A user-friendly, intuitive interface will encourage regular use, reduce the learning curve, and help employees fit wellness activities into their busy routine. A solution that is simple to use and well-supported will drive higher adoption and engagement from day one.
Key questions to ask:
- “Is your platform available on mobile devices, and does the mobile app have full functionality?
Verify that the vendor offers a robust mobile app (for both iOS and Android) in addition to web access. Ask for a demo of the mobile experience to confirm that all key features are seamlessly available on smartphones and tablets. - “How do you ensure an intuitive user experience for our staff?”
Inquire about the platform’s user interface design. It should be modern and easy to navigate for people of varying technical skill levels. Ask if the vendor provides training or onboarding resources to help employees get started quickly.
Customization and Flexibility
Every hospital is different, whether it’s the culture, employee demographics, or operational complexity. A one-size-fits-all wellness platform often falls short when it comes to meaningful engagement. That’s why customization and flexibility should be top priorities in your evaluation process.
The right platform should allow you to tailor not just the look and feel, but also the content, structure, and functionality to meet your organization’s unique needs. This includes customizing the platform with your hospital’s branding (logos, colors, voice), building out tailored communications, and adapting wellness initiatives for different departments, locations, or roles.
More advanced platforms go even further by allowing the addition of custom-built modules. Whether it’s incorporating a condition-specific tracker (like blood pressure monitoring), integrating new data fields into health assessments, or tailoring the incentive logic to align with union agreements or benefit tiers, the ability to add features on request is a powerful advantage.
Key questions to ask:
- “Can the platform be customized to reflect our brand and culture?”
Look for options to customize the interface with your hospital’s identity and embed your wellness messaging and values into the experience. - “Can we add our own wellness initiatives and tailor functionality over time?”
Your vendor should support the integration of your own resources, events, and even new modules or workflows as your needs evolve. - “Can the platform adapt to the structure of our workforce?”
Ask whether the platform can accommodate multi-location systems, shift workers, multiple languages, or separate eligibility and incentive rules for different roles (e.g., nurses vs. administrative staff).
Clinical Credibility and Evidence-Based Content
Given that this wellness initiative will be implemented in a healthcare environment, clinical credibility is paramount. Hospital leaders should scrutinize whether a wellness platform’s content and approach are grounded in evidence-based medicine and reputable health science.
Unlike generic corporate programs, a hospital’s wellness solution will be viewed by clinicians and healthcare-savvy staff, so it must withstand professional scrutiny and avoid “fad” wellness trends. The best programs leverage established research, proven behavior-change methodologies, and expert oversight to deliver credible health guidance.
Key questions to ask:
- “What is the scientific basis of your program’s content and tools?”
Look for platforms that collaborate with respected medical institutions—like Mayo Clinic—to deliver content based on established clinical guidelines. Ask how materials are vetted and who oversees the development of health assessments, education, and behavior-change tools. - “Can you show evidence that your program works?”
Request case studies, usage metrics, or outcome data that demonstrate impact—such as improved health risk scores, increased participation, or reduced claims. A credible provider should take a science-first, outcomes-focused approach and be transparent about how success is measured.
Data Security and Privacy Compliance
Data security must be thoroughly addressed, especially in a healthcare environment. A digital wellness program for hospital employees will inherently deal with personal health information which means it falls under privacy regulations like HIPAA. Ensuring the confidentiality and security of employee health data is not just a legal necessity but also vital for building trust in the program. Hospital leaders should be uncompromising on this criterion when selecting a vendor.
Key questions to ask:
- “Is your platform HIPAA-compliant?”
The vendor should clearly confirm compliance with HIPAA and outline the measures used to safeguard personal identifiable information (PII) and personal health information (PHI). Look for descriptions of encryption standards, secure data centers, and access controls. - “Have you had any security breaches, and what are your data protection protocols?”
Ask if they’ve had past breaches, how they respond to incidents, and whether they hold third-party certifications like SOC 2 or HITRUST. Request their standard business associate agreement (BAA) to ensure it meets your hospital’s standards.
Support and Vendor Responsiveness
Implementing a digital wellness platform is not a one-time transaction, it’s an ongoing partnership. Hospitals should evaluate how much support and guidance each vendor will provide, both during rollout and long-term. A platform may have all the features in the world, but you’ll need responsive service to adapt the program over time, address any technical issues, and keep participants engaged.
Key questions to ask:
- “What ongoing support is available for admins and employees?”
Ask if you’ll have a dedicated account manager, what response times look like, and whether participants can access user support via chat, phone, or email. A top-tier vendor will outline clear support channels for both administrators and participants and have a reputation for responsiveness. - “How will you help us grow and evolve the program?”
Look for vendors who assist with strategy, communications, and engagement—not just troubleshooting. Proactive partners offer check-ins, reporting, and ideas to keep your program strong.
Elevate Workforce Well-Being with a Trusted Partner by Your Side
Choosing the right wellness program provider isn’t just about ticking boxes. It’s about finding a long-term partner with the tools, technology, and insight to help your hospital care for its most important asset: your people. By asking the right questions about platform features, customization, integration, security, support, and clinical credibility, healthcare leaders can confidently select a solution that meets both present needs and future goals.
Wellvation’s ManageWell platform is designed to meet the high standards of hospital systems, combining evidence-based content from the Mayo Clinic with customizable tools that adapt to your workforce. From integrated health assessments and personalized pathways to responsive support and real-time analytics, we help hospitals build a culture of wellness that engages employees and drives measurable outcomes.
Ready to see what a purpose-built wellness platform can do for your organization? Book a demo today and start building a healthier, more resilient workforce.
