- Kimesha Malone, RN, Clinical Business Success Consultant
The beginning of a new year often signals a renewed commitment to health. People set goals to exercise more consistently, improve nutrition, manage chronic conditions, and prioritize preventive care. Yet research consistently shows that by the three-month mark, many New Year’s resolutions begin to fade. Motivation wanes, routines become inconsistent, and individuals frequently revert to familiar patterns, only to repeat the cycle again the following year.
This predictable drop-off presents a critical opportunity for healthcare organizations and health plans. The early months of the year are an ideal time to engage newly enrolled or renewed members, proactively close care gaps, and connect individuals with disease management and care management programs designed to provide structure, accountability, and sustained support.
Why Preventive Care Often Falls Through the Cracks
Scheduling an annual primary care visit is often listed among patients’ top wellness intentions. In fact, when physicians were asked to identify realistic wellness resolutions, “schedule your preventive care visit and actually go” ranked at the top. While many individuals take the first step by planning an appointment, a significant portion ultimately cancel or postpone it.
Barriers such as transportation challenges, time constraints, lack of follow-up, or uncertainty about next steps frequently interfere with follow-through. Without consistent support, preventive care becomes optional rather than foundational, leading to missed screenings, unmanaged chronic conditions, and increased emergency department utilization over time.
The Role of Care Management as an Accountability Partner
Care management and disease management programs act as a built-in support system, helping members stay accountable and overcome barriers that can derail health goals. Once enrolled, members are supported by a clinical care team that monitors progress, identifies unmet needs, and uses data-driven insights to guide timely interventions.
When paired with advanced analytics, this approach has been shown to deliver measurable results at scale. Health systems leveraging data to identify and close care gaps have seen significant improvements in both clinical and financial outcomes. For instance, INTEGRIS Health’s data-informed improvement efforts helped increase revenue by $2.2 million and close more than 55,000 care gaps.
For organizations offering health plan–based programs, clinical teams can leverage digital analytics and population health tools to:
- Monitor completion of annual PCP visits and preventive screenings
- Identify open care gaps and prioritize outreach
- Assist members with scheduling appointments
- Address social and logistical barriers such as transportation
- Follow up post-visit to ensure next steps are understood as well as formulate defined SMART goals
How TruCare Supports New Year’s Health Goals
Zyter|TruCare provides a comprehensive platform designed to help organizations operationalize these efforts and turn resolutions into measurable outcomes.
Program Management
TruCare centralizes management of both internal and external programs, giving care teams full visibility into the services and initiatives a member participates in. It also offers the ability to track engagement and trigger reminders for what to do during various phases of the program.
Risk Stratification and Data Analytics
Advanced analytics and risk stratification tools surface care gaps in real time, enabling care managers to prioritize outreach, support timely scheduling of necessary appointments, and reduce avoidable emergency room visits.
Personalized Care Planning
TruCare empowers members through individualized care plans that support chronic condition management, preventive care adherence, and overall wellness. Members gain access to the right resources at the right time, increasing the likelihood of sustainable behavior change. This highlights the ability to create person-centered, member-focused care plans.
Primary Care Integration and Care Team Visibility
Establishing and maintaining a strong relationship with a primary care provider is foundational to long-term health. TruCare facilitates care plan sharing and, through NextGen integration, provides visibility into the member’s full multidisciplinary care team, supporting a truly integrated approach to care delivery.
Looking Ahead: TruCare Symphony and AI-Driven Insights
As healthcare continues to evolve, TruCare Symphony introduces AI-driven capabilities that enhance predictive insights, streamline workflows, and further personalize care management, helping organizations stay ahead of risk while delivering member-centered care at scale.
Moving from Resolutions to Results
New Year’s resolutions do not fail because people do not care about their health. They fail because lasting change requires structure, follow-up, and support. By leveraging care management programs and technology-enabled platforms like Zyter|TruCare, healthcare organizations can transform short-lived goals into sustained engagement, improved outcomes, and lower cost of care.
The new year is more than a reset. It is an opportunity to partner with members, close care gaps early, establish relationships with providers, and build healthier futures together.
To learn how Zyter|TruCare supports proactive, whole-person care management programs, contact us today.
