Effective 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 healthful, productive workforce to succeed in the highly competitive global marketplace.  

Over a hundred studies in both corporate and governmental establishings have documented the economic advantages of employee wellness programs, including reduced absenteeism, reduced injuries and workman’s compensation costs, reduced healthcare costs, reduced employee turnover, as well as increased productivity, greater employee 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 staff member wellness programs may  be able to incorporate some features described.  Staff Member 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 exercise, excess weight, unhealthy diet, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, stress, depression, and so on.     

High-risk workers are namely targeted for intervention, although the most successful programs also direct efforts towards healthy workers 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 almost universal in successful programs.  Staff Members take the questionnaire each year in many cases.     

The HRA serves to increase 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 if it is followed by some type 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 BMI , blood pressure, cholesterol, fasting glucose, and assorted other metrics.     

Combining the results of the HRA with biological measures results in a more valid 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 smoking, losing weight, or exercising, and for maintaining healthy status and/or behaviors.     

In many cases the monetary incentives are associated with reductions in health insurance premiums.  Some programs use disincentives as well as incentives, like charging staff members 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 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 may  be periodically coached via telephone by trained health coaches.     

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

Three or more sessions are generally offered.  In some intensive programs, the coaching extends to actual disease management (DM) intervention for employees 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 to accommodate the needs of all employees.     

In addition to on-site exercise and healthy consuming events, on-line programs, e-mail reminders and notices, printed newsletters and materials, and workplace classes and seminars are common dissemination strategies.   

8   Senior level 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 staff member.  This could  be through 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 worker awareness of wellness opportunities and reinforce the corporate emphasis on wellness through frequent and multiple “touches”.   

10   Open enrollment

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

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

11   Family involvement

Many programs encourage spouses and other family members to participate in the company wellness activities and to adopt a healthful lifestyle along with the designated worker.  It’s far easier for the worker to have a healthful lifestyle if his/her family does so as well.   

12   Use of tobacco cessation

Because use of tobacco and other use of tobacco is the number one threat to health it is crucial to offer employees 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 could  be available as well.     

13   Exercise

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

Most programs provide either periodic or continuous onsite opportunities, and some locations have onsite gyms, 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’s imperative that programs offer effective assistance with weight control.  Comprehensive encouragement from  executive management to shed excess weight is important.     

Web-Based 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.     
   
Nearly all successful wellness programs offer assistance with personal and workplace stress.  Some programs refer staff members to outside resources for additional 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   Medical screenings/immunizations

Employees are actively encouraged to complete advised biometric screenings for blood pressure, cholesterol, Body Mass Index (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   Onsite health care

Actual provision of on-site primary care medical services is a growing trend.  The quickly escalating costs of medical care insurance for staff members has stimulated this trend.     

Some companies have found that it’s less expensive to provide main care services themselves than to fund those services through medical insurance.     

Onsite care also lowers the amount of time staff members 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 Healthy Behaviors for Health Plans and Companys” 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 Healthful 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 Make 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.