Effective Wellness Programs.

Corporate America is increasingly investing in employee wellness because it’s good business.  In order to meet productivity demands, companies 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 wellness programs, including lowered absenteeism, lowered injuries and workman’s compensation costs, lowered health care costs, lowered 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 employee wellness programs could  be able to incorporate some features described.  Employee wellness 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 such as tobacco use, lack of physical activity, excess weight, unhealthful diet, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, stress, depression, and so on.     

High-risk employees are namely targeted for intervention, although the most successful programs also direct efforts towards healthful employees for 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.  Employees take the questionnaire annually in many cases.     

The HRA serves to elevate awareness, provide direction, and motivate person to improve specific behaviors.  In some cases, the personalized report is directly linked to appropriate resources related to identified risks.     

Research indicates that the use of an HRA is effective when it’s 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

Many wellness programs combine the results of the health risk (assessment|appraisal} with measurement of each employee’s biometrics, including weight and Body Mass Index , blood pressure, cholesterol, fasting glucose, and assorted other metrics.     

Combining the results of the HRA 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

Employees are frequently given monetary or other meaningful rewards for completing an HRA, participation in a program or class, specific accomplishments like stopping use of tobacco, losing weight, or exercising, and for maintaining healthful status and/or behaviors.     

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

5   High wellness program participation rates

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

6   Wellness coaching

Staff Members with identified risks or desire to improve their health habits might  be periodically coached via telephone by trained health coaches.     

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

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

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 employees.     

In addition to onsite physical activity and healthy 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-level management support

Enthusiastic and frequent endorsement by  upper-level management is critical 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 staff member.  This may  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 staff member 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’ve easy access to the wellness programs and activities.  Open and uncomplicated enrollment processes achieve this.     

Some businesses automatically enroll all workers and then allow those who don’t wish to participate to “opt-out”.  This practice has been proven to increase enrollment rates in some settings.   

11   Family involvement

Many programs encourage spouses and other family members to participate in the corporation 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 when his/her family does so as well.   

12   Use of tobacco cessation

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

Access to smoking 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 may  be available as well.     

13   Physical Activity

Regular physical activity is a core component of every wellness program.  Employees must be strongly encouraged to engage in regular physical activity.     

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

14   Weight management

Because obesity is a major threat to health it’s imperative that programs offer effective assistance with weight control.  Extensive encouragement from  senior 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 critical for maintenance of weight loss.   

15   Stress management

Workplace stress is perhaps the most common complaint among workers and a major contributor to absenteeism, presenteeism (reduced productivity), and low morale.     
   
Almost all successful wellness programs offer assistance with personal and workplace stress.  Some programs refer workers to outside resources for more serious conditions like depression and anxiety disorders, but most offer internet 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   Biometric screenings/immunizations

Workers are actively encouraged to complete recommended health screenings for blood pressure, cholesterol, BMI, 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 onsite main care medical services is a growing trend.  The rapidly escalating costs of medical care insurance for workers has stimulated this trend.     

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

Onsite care also reduces the amount of time employees 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 Wellness  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 Corporate Wellness Economic Return Studies -  2005 Update.  The Art of Wellness, July/August, 1-15.

5   Chapman, Larry.   (2006)   Employee Participation in Corporate 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 Wellness Coaching in Corporate Wellness.   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 Corporations” 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 Employers” Conference, Orlando, FL, January 23-24.

11   Pelletier, Barbara, Boles, Myde, and Lunch, Wendy.  (2004)  Changes in Health Risks and Make certain 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 comprehensive Health and Illness 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.