Health And Wellness Programs

Corporate America is increasingly investing in worker wellness because it is good corporation.  In order to meet productivity demands, corporations must rely on a healthy, productive workforce to succeed in the highly competitive global marketplace.  

Over a hundred studies in both corporate and governmental settings have documented the economic advantages of staff member health promotion programs, including reduced absenteeism, reduced injuries and workman’s compensation costs, reduced healthcare costs, reduced staff member turnover, in addition to increased productivity, greater staff member satisfaction, and improved morale.1-10  

The more recent literature reflects improvements in wellness programming along with greater return on investment.  In general, the more focused and intensive the program, the greater benefit realized.  

To enhance their effectiveness federal government worker health promotion programs may  be able to incorporate some of the features described.  Employee health promotion programs shown to have positive returns on investment often include the following features –    

1   Health and productivity management model

Programs characterized by this model focus attention on identification and reduction of specific risks or behaviors like tobacco use, lack of exercise, excess weight, unhealthful diet, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, stress, depression, and so on.     

High-risk personnel are particularly targeted for intervention, although the most successful programs also direct efforts towards healthy personnel in order to maintain their low-risk status.  This model emphasizes outcomes as opposed to simply offering wellness activities for their own sake.     

2   Health risk (assessment|appraisal}

Use of a computerized health risk (assessment|appraisal}  instrument with individualized feedback and recommendations is nearly universal in successful programs.  Staff Members take the questionnaire annually in many cases.     

The Health Risk (Assessment|Appraisal} serves to increase awareness, provide direction, and motivate person to improve specific behaviors.  In some cases, the customized report is directly linked to appropriate resources related to identified risks.     

Research indicates that the use of an Health Risk (Assessment|Appraisal} is effective if it is followed by some kind of educational or therapeutic intervention for identified risks.  It often serves as the entry point into wellness programs.   

3   Biometric analysis

A lot of health promotion programs combine the results of the health risk (assessment|appraisal} with measurement of each worker’s biometrics, including weight and Body Mass Index (BMI) , blood pressure, cholesterol, fasting glucose, and assorted other metrics.     

Combining the results of the Health Risk (Assessment|Appraisal} with biological measures results in a more precise risk profile.   Computerized health risk (assessment|appraisal}s often incorporate biometric data in their risk analysis.   

4   Wellness Program Incentives

Staff Members are frequently given monetary or other significant rewards for completing an HRA, participation in a program or class, specific accomplishments like stopping smoking, losing weight, or exercising, and for maintaining healthy status and/or behaviors.     

In many cases the monetary incentives are associated with reductions in medical insurance premiums.  Some programs use disincentives in addition to incentives, such as charging personnel who smoke higher rates for their medical insurance contribution.   

5   High health promotion program participation rates

Successful programs use incentives to drive participation rates up.  They also market their programs comprehensively, and may use contest or challenge strategies to heighten enthusiasm and encourage participation.   

6   Wellness coaching

Employees with identified risks or desire to improve their health habits could  be periodically coached via telephone by trained wellness Coaches.     

Coaching assists workforce set and achieve realistic lifestyle-related goals including those addressing stress, work life balance, tobacco use, weight, physical activity, and various behavior modifications.     

Three or more sessions are typically offered.  In some intensive programs, the coaching extends to actual disease management (DM) intervention for workers with identified high-risk diseases.    

7   Multiple formats

Programs might offer wellness content in online, paper, and seminar formats to provide stimulating variety and alternatives for accommodate the needs of all staff.     

In addition to on-site physical activity and healthful eating events, on-line programs, e-mail reminders and notices, printed newsletters and materials, and workplace courses and seminars are common dissemination strategies.   

8   Upper management support

Enthusiastic and frequent endorsement by  upper management is vital to achieving high rates of participation.  When senior executives are wellness role models themselves the effects of endorsement are enhanced.   

9   Frequent contact

Successful programs have frequent contact of some sort with every worker.  This could  be through advertising and marketing efforts (e.g., posters, e-mail notices, reminders, or messages, etc.), bulletin boards, newsletters, staff meeting presentations, discussion in new worker orientation, supervisory sessions, etc.      

The key is to enhance employee awareness of wellness opportunities and reinforce the corporate emphasis on wellness through frequent and multiple “touches”.   

10   Open enrollment

To encourage high participation rates workers must have easy access to the wellness programs and activities.  Open and uncomplicated enrollment processes achieve this.     

Some corporations automatically enroll all staff and then allow those who don’t wish to participate to “opt-out”.  This practice has been shown to improve enrollment rates in some establishings.   

11   Family involvement

A lot of programs encourage spouses and other family members to take part in the company wellness activities and to adopt a healthy lifestyle along with the designated staff member.  It’s far easier for the staff member to have a healthy lifestyle if his/her family does so as well.   

12   Smoking cessation

Because tobacco use and other tobacco use is the number one threat to health it is critical to offer staff effective and convenient assistance with quitting.     

Access to tobacco cessation pharmaceuticals is often part of such programs.  In-house programs provide the most convenient access to these services, although on-line or telephone-based programs might  be available as well.     

13   Exercise

Regular exercise is a core component of every wellness program.  Employees ought to be strongly encouraged to engage in regular exercise.     

Most programs provide either periodic or continuous onsite opportunities, and some locations have onsite fitness clubs, swimming pools, walking trails, etc.  Discounted or paid memberships to community exercise facilities is a common alternative to onsite facilities.   

14   Weight management

Because obesity is a major threat to health it is very important that programs offer effective assistance with weight control.  Extensive encouragement from  upper-level management to shed excess weight is important.     

Online programs, worksite programs, or discounted access to weight control programs in the community may all be available.  Long-term follow-up is vital for maintenance of losing weight.   

15   Stress management

Workplace stress is perhaps the most common complaint among employees and a major contributor to absenteeism, presenteeism (reduced productivity), and low morale.     
   
Almost all successful health promotion programs offer assistance with personal and workplace stress.  Some programs refer staff to outside resources for more serious conditions like depression and anxiety disorders, but most offer web-based or frequent on-site general stress reduction programs.     
   
Some businesses endeavor to structure the work environment to minimize stress, both physically and operationally.   

16   Health screenings/immunizations

Staff Members are actively encouraged to complete recommended medical screenings for blood pressure, cholesterol, Body Mass Index, colorectal and breast cancer, and others.     

Annual influenza immunizations are also encouraged.  Some sites provide these services at the worksite.  Incentives are often awarded for completion of these screenings/immunizations.    

17   On-Site health care

Actual provision of on-site main care medical services is a growing trend.  The rapidly escalating costs of medical care insurance for employees has stimulated this trend.     

Some corporations have found that it is less costly to provide main care services themselves than to fund those services through health insurance.     

Onsite care also reduces the amount of time staff would otherwise spend away from the worksite getting such services.    

References   

1   Aldana, Steven G.  (2001)   Financial Impact of Wellness Programs –   A Robust Review of the Literature.   Am J Wellness 15(5) – 296-320.

2   Chapman, Larry.  (1998)   the Role of Incentives in Wellness.  The Art of Health Promotion  2(3) – 1-8.

3   Chapman, Larry.   (2003)   Biometric Screening in Wellness –   is it Really as Important as We Think?  the Art of Wellness  7(2) – 1-12.

4   Chapman, Larry.  (2005)   Meta-Analysis of Employee Health Promotion Economic Return Studies –  2005 Update.  The Art of Wellness, July/August, 1-15.

5   Chapman, Larry.   (2006)   Staff Member Participation in Employee Wellness and Wellness Programs –   How Important are Incentives, and Which Ones work Best?   North Carolina Medical Journal   67(6) –   431-432.

6   Chapman, Larry, Lesch, Nancy, and Passas Baun, Mary Beth.   (2007)   the Role of Health Promotion Coaching in Company Health Promotion.   the Art of Wellness, July/August, 1-12.

7   Chapman, Larry.  (2007)   Proof Positive –   an Analysis of the cost-Effectiveness of Corporate Wellness.  Northwest Health Management Publishing, Seattle, WA.

8   Chapman, Larry.  (2007)   an In-Depth Look at the Economic Evidence for Rewarding Health Behavior Change.   Workshop presentation at the World Research Group “Rewarding Healthful Behaviors for Health Plans and Employers” Conference, Orlando, FL, January 23-24.

9   Edington, Dee.   (2001)   Emerging Research –   A View from One Research Center.  American Journal of Wellness 15(5) –  341-349.

10   Edington, Dee W.  (2007)   Health Management as a Serious Business Strategy.  Presentation at the World Research Group “Rewarding Healthy Behaviors for Health Plans and Companys” Conference, Orlando, FL, January 23-24.

11   Pelletier, Barbara, Boles, Myde, and Lunch, Wendy.  (2004)  Changes in Health Risks and Be sure to work Productivity.   Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 46(7) –  746-754.

12   Pelletier, Kenneth R.  (2005)   A Review and Analysis of the Clinical and Cost-Effectiveness Studies of extensive Health and Disease Management (DM)Programs at the Worksite –  Update VI 2000-2004.  JOEM 47(10)1051-1058.

13   DeVol, Ross, Bedroussian, Armen, et.  Al.  (2007)  an Unhealthful America –   the Economic Burden of Chronic Disease.  Report released by the Milken Institute.   www.milkeninstitute.org.

14   Partnership for Prevention.  (2008) Investing in Health –   Proven Wellness Practices for Workplaces.   http – //www.prevent.org/images/stories/2008/investinginhealth_finalfinal.pdf.