The Importance of Data Points in Care Workflows for Patient Incentivization
Incentivizing healthy behavior is one of the most promising strategies to improve healthcare outcomes. However, for these incentives to be meaningful, they must be anchored to real-time, verifiable data captured across the patient care journey. This is where care workflows—and the data points generated at different steps become essential building blocks.
By embedding incentives into care workflows and using technologies like blockchain and tokenization, healthcare systems can create a transparent, trusted, and personalized engagement model. This article explores the importance of of care workflows, data points in care workflows and identifying the right data points to trigger incentivization and how using digital tokens for rewards holds the potential for democratized healthcare delivery.
Understanding Care Workflows & Data Points
A care workflow is the structured sequence of clinical and behavioral interventions a patient undergoes for diagnosis, treatment, and long-term management. Every step generates data records, which can be used to monitor, evaluate, and reward patient participation and outcomes. These data points can include:
- Demographic & Identity Data (e.g. name, age, gender etc…)
- Administrative & Encounter Data (e.g. appointment history, admission/discharge summaries, consent forms etc…)
- Clinical data (e.g., medical history, physical examination, lab results, progress notes etc… )
- Laboratory & Diagnostic Data ( for e.g. blood tests, pathology reports, radiology (X-rays, MRI, CT scans), lab values etc…
- Medication & Treatment Data ( for e.g. prescriptions, drug schedules, pharmacy dispensation records etc…)
- Therapy & Intervention Data (for e.g. physical therapy, mental health sessions etc…)
- Monitoring & Wearable Data (for e.g. heart rate, glucose levels, sleep patterns etc…)
- Patient-Reported Data (for e.g. check-ins, mood trackers, surveys etc…)
- Behavioral and Social Data ( for e.g. lifestyle choices, nutrition, occupation, stress levels etc…)
- Genomic & Personalized Data (for e.g. genetic profiles, pharmacogenomics, DNA markers etc…)
By associating data points with an incentive trigger, healthcare systems can build a continuous loop of engagement.
Are all data points a trigger for Incentivization?
Incentivizing patient behavior through digital tokens as rewards is a powerful tool to promote adherence, engagement, and better outcomes. However, not all data points generated during a patient’s care journey are relevant or meaningful for rewards. While modern healthcare systems generate vast amounts of data as seen above, only certain actions or events act as true behavioral or clinical triggers for incentivization.
For example, a patient registering for an appointment or updating their demographic information, while necessary for record keeping, may not justify a reward. In contrast, completing a preventive health screening, adhering to a medication schedule, or logging consistent blood sugar levels through a wearable device reflects proactive health engagement which are actionable milestones that align with health outcomes and are worth incentivizing.
This underscores the importance of mapping clinical care flows and identifying critical data points where rewards can truly reinforce positive behavior and outcome. A well-designed incentivization model must be rooted in a clear understanding of:
- What behavior needs to be encouraged?
- Which data points indicate that behavior?
- Is the action clinically significant or outcome-driven?
By tying rewards to these purposeful triggers, healthcare systems can avoid over-incentivization, reduce noise, and ensure that token distribution is both efficient and meaningful. In essence, it’s not only about rewarding data collection — it’s about rewarding the right decisions and actions at the right time.
Construction of real life-scenario linked to Patient Journey and Incentivization
In a 2020 study by the American Diabetes Association, over 50% of patients with Type 2 diabetes reported non-adherence to medication and irregular follow-ups. The reasons? Lack of motivation, poor understanding, and disconnected systems.
So Let us look at how a care journey and incentivization can come together by constructing a scenario and sample incentivization program for a Type 2 Diabetic Patient and see how incentivization can help overcome the reasons seen in the study conducted.
Type 2 Diabetes Patient Care Journey with Data Point Mapping & Incentivization Triggers -
| Care Stage | Touchpoint / Action | Data Captured | Data Category | Trigger | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Onboarding & Diagnosis | Patient registration, demographic data, medical history intake | Name, age, gender, contact info, insurance, family history, co-morbidities | Administrative, Demographic, Clinical | NO | Needed for records; not behavior-driven |
| HbA1c test, fasting glucose test, diagnosis confirmation | Test results, diagnosis date, ICD codes | Clinical, Diagnostic | YES | Start of care pathway, key clinical milestone | |
| 2. Initial Treatment Plan | Physician prescribes medications & lifestyle changes | Medications (e.g., metformin), nutrition/exercise advice | Clinical, Therapeutic | YES | Engagement in care plan |
| 3. Self-Monitoring & Daily Management | Creation of digital care plan in app or portal | Digital care plan created (Yes/No), patient access logs | Digital Interaction, Engagement | YES | First level of digital participation |
| Daily blood sugar logging (via app or device) | Blood sugar levels, timestamps, frequency of logging | Wellness, Clinical, IoT | YES | Continuous engagement & habit-building | |
| Medication adherence (self-reported or smart pill tracker) | Doses taken/missed, timing | Therapeutic, Behavioral | YES | Critical for glycemic control | |
| Physical activity tracking (via wearable) | Steps, activity minutes, heart rate | Wellness, Lifestyle | YES | Supports lifestyle modification goal | |
| Diet logging | Macronutrient intake, meal times | Lifestyle, Nutrition | YES | Helps manage blood glucose spikes | |
| 4. Follow-Up & Adjustments | Quarterly HbA1c test | HbA1c values, date of test | Diagnostic, Clinical | YES | Measures progress & adherence |
| Virtual consultation with doctor or educator | Appointment attendance, care plan revision | Engagement, Clinical | YES | Encourages continuous provider-patient dialogue | |
| 5. Complication Management | Eye exam, kidney screening, foot exam | Test results, attendance, referral status | Clinical, Preventive | YES | Key to preventing long-term complications |
| 6. Health Education & Support | Completion of diabetes education modules | Module completion status, score, time spent | Engagement, Educational | YES | Improves health literacy & empowerment |
| Peer group/community participation | Forum participation, support group attendance | Social, Behavioral | YES | Builds motivation & psychological support | |
| 7. Outcome & Long-Term Management | HbA1c improvement over time, fewer hypo/hyperglycemic events | Trend data over time | Clinical Outcome | YES | Captures sustained behavioral success |
| Decreased medication dosage (doctor-initiated) | New prescription, notes | Clinical | YES | Positive clinical outcome due to adherence |
Type 2 Diabetes Patient Care Journey linked to Metrics & Weightage for incentivization
| Care Stage | Touchpoint / Action | Data Captured | Trigger | Measure / Metric to Achieve | Weightage (%) | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Onboarding & Diagnosis | HbA1c test, diagnosis confirmation | HbA1c value ≥6.5%, ICD code | YES | Test completed + Diagnosis logged | 5% | First entry into care ecosystem |
| 2. Treatment Plan Initiation | Physician plan acceptance | Medication + Lifestyle plan | YES | Patient accepts plan digitally | 5% | Indicates buy-in for behavior change |
| 3. Self-Monitoring & Management | Glucose logging | Glucose levels (daily logs) | YES | 80% daily entries over 4 weeks | 15% | Directly reflects glycemic control behavior |
| Medication adherence | Doses taken on time | YES | 85% adherence tracked weekly | 10% | High correlation to outcome control | |
| Physical activity | Step count, active mins | YES | ≥ 150 mins/week moderate activity | 10% | Helps manage weight & insulin resistance | |
| Diet tracking | Carb/fat intake, meals | YES | Log 70% meals/week + goal adherence | 7% | Nutrition affects glucose variability | |
| 4. Follow-Up Monitoring | HbA1c retest every 3 months | HbA1c trend | YES | Minimum 1 test/quarter | 8% | Critical for treatment assessment |
| Doctor follow-up | Visit status, notes | YES | Attend 1 consult every 2 months | 5% | Ensures plan adjustment & motivation | |
| 5. Preventive Screening | Eye/kidney/foot screening | Test results, dates | YES | Complete ≥2 of 3 per 6 months | 10% | Prevents long-term complications |
| 6. Health Education | eLearning module | Completed lessons | YES | Complete 3 of 5 modules in 60 days | 5% | Increases self-efficacy in management |
| Community support | Forum activity | YES | Weekly post or support comment | 3% | Improves adherence via peer motivation | |
| 7. Outcome-Based Milestone | HbA1c improvement | % change over baseline | YES | > 1% reduction from baseline | 12% | Signifies effective care cycle |
| Medication tapering | Reduced dosage or med stop | YES | Documented med change by doctor | 5% | Indicates sustainable behavior change |
These weightages can be tied to token issuance — for example:
- Weekly rewards for logging & adherence
- Quarterly milestone based bonuses for testing, outcomes, or screenings
- Annual outcome linked rewards for HbA1c drop or stable results for more than 6 - 8 months.
(Please note the care workflow used above is just an example for understanding purpose and should not be considered as an actual care workflow for Diabetes care management)
Blockchain & Tokenization as incentivization enablers
By combining immutable ledgers and programmable tokens, blockchain can align healthcare incentives like never before. It makes every health-related transaction transparent and trustworthy, and every value-generating action (from taking medication to improving population health metrics) rewards the right parties instantly. Patients gain control and tangible benefits from engaging in their care; providers are paid for outcomes, not just services; insurers and payers save costs through verifiable quality of care.
In this way, blockchain and tokenization can unify fragmented systems into a more cooperative ecosystem, where all stakeholders share in the value they create.
Why use Crypto tokens as means of Incentivization
Rewarding with crypto tokens offers several key advantages over traditional point-based or in-app coin systems, especially in the context of healthcare incentivization. Here’s a breakdown of why crypto tokens represent a superior and more transformative method of rewarding users:
Real-World Value and Liquidity - Patient who adheres to medication for 6 months can redeem tokens for discounted diagnostics, partner services, or even cash—something points in a closed system cannot offer.
Ownership & Portability - A user rewarded by Hospital A can use the same tokens on a partner wellness platform, creating a network effect of value.
Transparency and Trust (Blockchain-Backed) - If an insurer wants to verify that a patient earned tokens due to healthy behavior, the blockchain ledger provides indisputable proof.
Programmability & Smart Contracts - A smart contract can be set to issue 10 tokens only if daily step count > 8,000 for 30 days, and glucose levels improve.
Interoperability Across Ecosystems - A token earned through adherence on a hospital’s app could be spent on nutritional products from a partner pharmacy or gym membership. Market-Driven Value Appreciation - A user who earns 100 tokens today for compliance might see them grow in value if platform adoption increases, turning behavioral health into a financial asset.
Final Thoughts
Effective incentivization is only as strong as the data that supports it. In care workflows for e.g. like diabetes management, capturing meaningful data points enables continuous engagement, trustworthy outcomes tracking and scalable, tech-enabled reward systems. By embedding these data points into a tokenized incentivization model, healthcare systems can finally align patient behavior with health outcomes and economic rewards, driving the shift toward Healthcare 6.0.
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About the Author: Vishwajeet Jathar is one of the Co-Founders of HUMB - Healthcare focused Crypto Exchange Platform. With a passion for blockchain technology and its applications in healthcare, Vishwajeet is dedicated to exploring innovative solutions that bridge the gap between these two transformative fields.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any organization. This article is intended for informational purposes only and should not be construed as advice.
