Don't Be Fooled

Overinflated participation statistics are the "dirty little secret" of the wellness industry.

Nambying the numbers

Believe it or not, some vendors actually count a website login as "participation."

Frankly, we haven't seen too many people get healthier by entering their username and password into a website.  Beware any vendor touting participation over 25%, and be sure to ask how they distinguish between passive participation and active long-term engagement.

Sonic Boom doesn't play with smoke and mirrors. 
Participants aren't considered participants unless they're actively engaged for the long-haul.

If they're not engaged, they're not participating

To us, participation should mean active engagement.  Only those activities leading to behavior change should be included in participation statistics. 

Here's a common example of how some wellness companies report participation...

Billy works for a company that offers a health risk assessment (HRA), web-based health trackers, telephonic health coaching, and educational materials.  His company offers a $25 gift card for completing the HRA, and an additional $25 for starting the coaching program. 

Billy completes the HRA just to collect his $25, then has an initial phone consultation with a health coach and collects another $25.  During the coaching call, Billy's distracted, doing his e-mails and tapping his feet, waiting for the call to end.  The coach attempts to walk Billy through a cursory web tour, and mails him some information on weight management, which Billy promptly discards.

Obviously, Billy is not actively engaged, although technically, he is participating.  Most wellness vendors are all-too-eager to chalk Billy up as a success story.