Wellness Program Blog

A lot of companys, as part of their efforts to contain rising health care costs, are beginning health promotion programs variously described as wellness, lifestyle programs, health and productivity management, population health management and, simply, health promotion programs.

The purpose of this article is to consider whether such wellness programs improve health. If so, do they in turn reduce utilization of healthcare services and reduce healthcare expenditures?

The well-liked media have done much to promote the concept of company health promotion. Last year, In Business –  Madison1 magazine printed a story accompanied by a table reporting an impressive range of Return On Investment –

Return on Investment (Per dollar Return On Investment (ROI) for lifestyle programs)

• Coors $6.15

• Kennecott $5.78

• Equitable Life $5.52

• Citibank $4.56

• General Mills $3.90

• Travelers $3.40

• Motorola $3.15

• PepsiCo $3.00

• Unum Life $1.81

Source –  2004 T.E. Brennan Company, as reported

Would these Return On Investment (ROI)s stand up to rigorous empirical analysis of the data? What factors produce such disparate returns among these wellness programs? and does the published literature, subject to peer review of scientific methods, support the Return On Investment (ROI)s announced here?

Health and Productivity Management

Illness and injury associated with an unhealthy lifestyle or modifiable risk factors is announced to account for at least 25% of employee healthcare expenditures.

The most meaningful of these risk factors are stress, tobacco use, overweight or obesity, physical inactivity, excessive alcohol use, and poor nutritional habits.

Over the past two decades, a selection of groups at the local, state, and national levels have promoted the concept that health risk reduction and care management programs can improve employee health, and that worksite health education, health risk management, and benefit counseling should complement standard health insurance benefits.

The intensity of health promotion programs range from bulletin board, brochure or newsletter information to on-site fitness facilities, health risk reduction classes, and personal lifestyle change coaching.

Wellness programs today often include a health risk assessment  to evaluate each staff member’s modifiable risk factors of illness. Program coordinators then target interventions to those that are at increased risk through personal communications and individual follow-up.

Robust wellness programs may include courses on health risk reduction and job safety, fitness and exercise activities, gym memberships, and reductions in co-payments or premiums for personnel who adhere to advised biometric screening guidelines.

Along with this, some businesss are restructuring health benefits and encouraging employees’ cost-sensitivity when accessing health care.5 These changes are intended to reduce employees’ need for and utilization of health care, yielding decreased group medical care costs.

Demonstrated reductions in health care expenditures should then provide companys with a powerful bargaining chip in negotiating lower medical insurance premiums during future terms.

Evidence basis –  A range of Return On Investment estimates

The empirical research has produced results as varied as the popular media on ROI. Nonetheless, evidence continues to grow that well-designed and well-resourced wellness and disease prevention programs provide multi-faceted payback on investment.

Colleague-reviewed investigations and meta analyses show that Return On Investment (ROI) is achieved through improved worker health, reduced benefit expense, and enhanced productivity.

• Goetzel and colleagues, in their meta-analysis of two dozen articles summarizing economic examinations of health and productivity management programs, found an typical return of $3.14 per $1 invested in traditional wellness programs.  The ROI estimates for the individual wellness programs ranged from $1.49 to $13.7,

• Aldana reviewed 72 articles and concluded that wellness programs achieve an average ROI of $3.48 when considering healthcare costs alone, $5.82 per $1 when examining absenteeism, and $4.30 when both outcomes are considered.

• Ozminkowski and collagues conducted a 38 month case study of 23,000 participants in Citibank, N.A.’s wellness program and stated that within a 2 year period, Citibank realized a Return On Investment (ROI) between $4.56 and $4.73.10  

Follow-up studies found improvements in the risk profiles of participants, with the high-risk group improving more than the “usual care” group1 as a result of more intensive health promotion programming.

• Chapman’s 2004 meta-evaluation of 42 studies, ranking overall validity of the studies, reports cost-benefit ratios from $2.05-$4.64.

In addition to immediately quantifiable cost reductions, scientists have reported a variety of spin-off benefits –  greater productivity, intellectual capacity, and reductions in disability12 and absenteeism.9,13,14,15

Such wellness programs may also have positive effects on staff member perceptions of the company and staff member morale, even among nonparticipants.  These outcomes go beyond savings in direct healthcare costs to provide non-health related Return On Investment (ROI).

Tailoring health promotion program to maximize Return On Investment (ROI) Wellness programs aim to reduce the health risks of employees at high risk while maintaining the health status of those at low risk.

A variety of disease management (DM) interventions are available to fit the specific risk profiles of various worksites. Insurers and organizations now seek to calibrate their interventions in order to achieve optimal risk reduction and costeffectiveness.

In 2001, University of Michigan scientists announced on stable trends in healthcare costs for over 2 million current and former staff members in an 18 year data set.

The mean cost increase per risk factor gained ($350) was found to be more than double the mean cost decrease per eliminated risk factor ($150).

In other words, increases in costs when groups of workers moved from low risk to high risk were much greater than the lowers in costs when groups moved from high risk to low risk. Their conclusion –  Programs designed to keep healthful people healthful will likely provide the greatest return on investment.

On the contrary, Pelletier’s meta-analysis and other health promotion program evaluations18 suggest that individualized risks reduction for high-risk employees within the context of extensive health promotion programming is the critical element in achieving positive clinical and cost outcomes in worksite interventions.

Dose-Response?

Several factors might affect the impact of various wellness programs and the ultimate Return On Investment (ROI), including cultural and environmental factors, workforce demographics, level of participation and longevity of the wellness program.

Most cost-benefit studies have been conducted in big corporations with more than fifty staff. But scientists have shown that similar results can be acquired by small corporations with as few as five staff actively involved in a well-managed wellness program.

Various studies also suggest that even relatively modest levels of participation can achieve substantial wellness program impact. Contrary to reports by the well-liked media that such wellness programs require more than 70% participation, published reports of at least one case showed positive Return On Investment with 51% participation.

Length of intervention appears to be a more salient variable –  an impact on health care costs usually requires three-to five years of wellness programming.

Future developments

Despite the abundance of positive health promotion program investigations, a few caveats remain. Negative results are less likely to be stated or published, consequently biasing the Return On Investment upward.

Uncertainty persists regarding the specific impact of the various health promotion program components. But as these health promotion programs take hold, further research and investigation will enable fine-tuning of health promotion program investments.

Meanwhile, the preponderance of data and the strength of the published research stand in favor of a positive ROI for wellness programs.

Truly, the corporation case for such wellness programs is now well enough defined that some insurance brokers offer discounted rates to organizations that institute or subscribe to wellness programs.

Future questions will focus on how to best to combine extensive and focused interventions, the intensity of elements, and how to calibrate the dose-response model to achieve a target Return On Investment.

Here, corporations, staff, and scientists will need to collaborate to define mutual objectives as for both clinical and cost outcomes.

Sources –

1. In Business –  Madison. Madison, WI –  September 2004. p. 39.

2. Anderson DR, Whitmer RW, Goetzel RZ, Ozminkowski RJ, Wasserman J, Serxner S. Health Enhancement Research Organization Committee. American Journal of Health Promotion 2000; 15(1) –  45-52.

3. Manning J. Health Promotion movement gains ground among corporations, health insurers. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. August 19, 2004.

4. Chapman LS. Specialist opinions on “best practices” in company health promotion (WHP).  The Art of Health Promotion Newsletter, July/August 2004 – 1-6.

5. Fronstin, P, and Werntz, R. EBRI Issue Brief No. 267, March 2004. Washington, DC – Staff Member Benefits Research Institute (EBRI).

6. Powell C. Professionals urge corporations to promote employee health promotion strategies. Akron Beacon Journal. October 25, 2004.

7. Goetzel RZ, Juday TR, Ozminkowski RJ. AWHP’s Worksite Health, Summer, 1999.

8. Goetzel, RZ. Absolute Advantage. Washington DC – Health Promotion Councils of America. Vol 1(8); 2002.

9. Aldana SG. American Journal of Health Promotion 2001; 15(5) –  296-320.

10. Ozminkowski RJ, Dunn RL, Goetzel RZ, Cantor RI, Murnane J, Harrison M. American Journal of Health Promotion 1999; 14(1) –  31-43.

11. Ozminkowski RJ, Goetzel RZ, Smith MW, Cantor RI, Shaughnessy A, Harrison M.  The impact of the Citibank, N.A. J Occup Environ Med. 2000; 42(5) –  502-511.

12. Serxner S, Gold D, Anderson D, Williams D. J Occup Environ Med. 2001; 43(1) –  25-29.

13. Riedel JE, Lynch W, Baase C, Hymel P, Peterson KW. American Journal of Wellness 2001; 15(3) –  167-191.

14. Edington MD, Karjalainen T, Hirschland D, Edington DW. AAOHN J. 2002 Jan; 50(1) –  26-31.

15. Aldana SG, Pronk NP. J Occup Environ Med. 2001 Jan; 43(1) –  36-46.

16. Pelletier KR. American Journal of Wellness. 2001; 16(2) –  107-16.

17. Edington DW. American Journal of Health Promotion 2001; 15(5) –  341-349.

18. Leatherman S, Berwick D, Iles D, Lewin LS, Davidoff F, Nolan T, Bisognano M. Health Affairs 2003; 22(2) –  17-30.

19. Erfurt JC, Holtyn K. J Occup Med 1991; 33(1) –  66-73.

20. Serxner S, Anderson DR, Gold D. American Journal of Wellness. 18(4) –  1-6, iii, 2004 Mar-Apr.

21. Serxner SA, Gold DB, Grossmeier JJ, Anderson DR.

As corporations today continue to compete in the global economy, cost containment strategies will be increasingly important. Controlling the rising cost of employee ill health is becoming a priority for corporate leaders.

The emerging corporate culture in the U.S.  is one which has an worker population centered in health, safety and wellness.

Creating a corporate strategy for wellness and disability management makes good company sense.  The following eight-step process ensures a strategic, integrated, needs-driven and results-oriented approach.

The following process works best in businesses with strong leadership and a long-term commitment to staff member health.

1. Identify Your Wellness Program Champion

This person should be a leader in your company and a strong advocate of health. Typically this is a personal who actively pursues his or her own personal quest for optimal health.

The wellness program champion must have the resources and authority to drive the program forward.  The program champion’s key role is to ensure the strategic plan for health is aligned with the company’s company objectives, strategic focus and organizational values.

For  instance if the corporation promotes that “our strength is our people ” the health promotion program must demonstrate how programs will nurture and protect that valuable resource.

2. Form Your Wellness Strategy Team

The Wellness Strategy Team should include decision makers and stakeholders from areas of the corporation that can influence health and the corporation’s bottom line.

These areas could include; finance, HR, training and development, health services, compensation and benefits, worker assistance services (EAP), marketing, facilities, safety and health, rehabilitation, cafeteria or food services and the union. A team of six to eight representatives is advised.

The role of the Strategy Team is to create and implement the strategic plan, look for opportunities to promote health, ensure the wellness program is integrated into key areas of the corporation, streamline efforts, maximize corporation resources and wellness program investigation.

3. Complete an Organizational Health Audit

The purpose of an Organizational Health Audit is to evaluate your existing wellness programs and services, physical environment and policies and procedures that support health.

It’s also vital that you look at your organizational culture or “how things are done” around the business.

Members of the Strategy Team complete the Audit independently and then meet to discuss their examination. During the examination process, health issues and opportunities are discussed in preparation for the development of the strategic plan.

4. Analyze Your Corporation’s Cost Pressures

Cost pressures are identified by reviewing  a number of areas including; benefit costs, Worksite Safety Insurance Board (WSIB) claims, drug usage, type of paramedic claims, absenteeism data and employee assistance program (EAP) utilization.

This process helps to target areas that may be positively impacted by a health promotion program and to provide a baseline for investigating  change.

5. Conduct a Health Risk Appraisal (HRA) or Staff Member Needs and Interest Survey

The next step is to determine your employee’s health risks, interests and readiness to change. A confidential health risk appraisal can accomplish many objectives.

It provides a baseline from which to measure personal lifestyle changes, provides personnel with relevant medical information, arouses personnel to take charge of their health and helps in health promotion program planning.

Most health risk appraisals provide individual reports and a corporate report identifying high-risk areas in the organization.

A lot of businesses prefer to administer personalized needs and interest survey to evaluate staff member needs.  The benefit of this approach is that the organization is able to gather information on the employees’ perceived wellness program needs and interests.

This information can be incorporated into the strategic plan. Administering a recent survey also has the added advantage of fostering a sense of staff member ownership to the wellness program.

6. Create Your Strategic Plan for Wellness

The strategic plan should incorporate information collected from the Organizational Health Audit, your company’s cost pressures, and health risk assessment data or employee survey results.

The strategic plan ought to include your health promotion program mission, three or four objectives and a few health promotion programs under each objective.  The strategic plan provides a framework to encourage, support and evaluate “best health practices.”

It is also important that the plan align itself with the vision, goals and goals of the business.

The sample strategic plan that follows was created for blue jeans maker Levi Strauss and Co. (Canada) Inc. Levi Strauss and Co.’s mission statement and aspirations (how staff interact with each other in a business environment) guided the development of the plan.

Levi Strauss and Co.’s aspirations include the following statement –  Above all, we want satisfaction from accomplishments and friendships, balanced personal and specialist lives, and to have fun in our endeavors.

The health promotion program plan included a number of components to ensure that it embraced this statement including the following –

1. A vision statement, which tied in with the organization’s aspirations.

2.  An incentive system to encourage and reward the accomplishment of healthful milestones.

3. A recognition system to applaud success.

4. Friendly competitions between Levi Strauss and Co. locations to ensure a fun environment.

5. Opportunities to take part in small group educational wellness programs to foster team support.

6. Initiation of support groups for staff completing health promotion programs (i.e. tobacco use control support group).

7. Programs dealing with work and family balance.

Other information that was investigated and used to create the plan included –

1. Corporation demographics

2. Focus groups

3. Cultural audit

4. Top drug report

5. employee assistance program utilization

6. Staff Member benefit services report

7. Health and dental claims

8. Operational performance summaries

9. Health risk appraisals

7. Put together a Company Case to Support Your Plan

Your corporation case for wellness provides the necessary details for approval at the senior management level.  The corporation case includes –

1.  The Strategic Plan for Health

2. A proposed wellness program budget

3. Advertising and Marketing strategies

4. Program leadership options

5.  An implementation plan

6. Investigation methodology.

In presenting the strategic plan it’s crucial to highlight how the plan aligns itself with the strategic direction of the company.

The health promotion program budget should include educational resources, advertising and marketing costs, rewards and incentives, leadership costs and supplies.

Marketing strategies should address how the wellness program are going to be promoted and rolled out to various groups within the company i.e. decentralized locations, high risk workforce, older workforce.

Program leadership should address how volunteers will be used, internal resources  and whether advisors have been proposed. All play an equally important role in the implementation of your health promotion program.

The health promotion program implementation plan should incorporate the following kinds of programs that help develop awareness of positive health practices, assist workers in making lifestyle changes and programs, which support long-term change.

Awareness health promotion programs create an awareness of the importance of healthful lifestyle practices and motivate staff to take the next step. Examples of awareness health promotion programs include posting educational posters, newsletter articles and lunch and learn seminars.

Lifestyle change wellness programs are more robust and longer in duration. They are designed to assist workers in changing behavior. Examples of lifestyle change wellness programs are nutrition education programs, stress management programs, back care courses and tobacco use control programs.

A supportive corporate environment encompasses everything from corporate policies and procedures, the physical environment and building a corporate culture that supports good health practices. Follow-up sessions and support groups for staff members who have completed 6-10 week wellness programs also provide a supportive environment for long-term change.

Analyzing the effectiveness of wellness is ongoing. A formal investigation ought to be conducted each year and may include; re-administering steps three to five, health promotion program participation statistics and a year end survey to revisit “soft” issues like morale, health promotion program satisfaction and future health promotion program direction.

8. Solicit Input and Communicate Your Plan

Worker input is crucial to the long-term success of your wellness program.  An Worker Advisory Committee ought to be formed to roll out the plan. Another key responsibility of this team is to solicit feedback from all levels of the organization to ensure buy-in.

Front line Manager’s Information Sessions and focus groups are also important. This group needs to buy-in to the notion that they play a key role in supporting positive health practices.

Regular meetings are advised with front line managers to receive ongoing input, address issues and orient new managers.

Conclusions

The World Health Corporation’s definition of health is “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity.”

In order for us to create healthy workplaces, wellness programs need to have have a wellness program champion, have employee ownership, be senior level management supported, results driven and strategically aligned with the overall company objectives of the company.

Wellness program that embrace these qualities will have a positive impact on an corporation’s bottom line. Canadian research points to many case studies where onsite wellness programs have resulted in reduced absenteeism, lower claims and increased productivity.

Organizations who have embraced wellness as part of “how they do business” have one thing in common. They demonstrate a commitment to their most valuable resource – their people .

They understand the increased pressures associated with downsized companies, a rapidly changing workplace, an aging work force and the challenge of balancing work and family obligations.  And they share a common belief that healthy workforce are happier, absent less and more productive.

References –

Design of Wellness Programs by Michael P. O’Donnell. 1995. Published by the American Journal of Wellness.

Pro Fit-ability by Veronica Marsden. Group Healthcare Management. May 1997.

Meeting Expectations by Laura Mensch. Worker Health and Productivity. August 1999

7 Steps to Wellness by Daphne Woolf and Veronica Marsden. Group Healthcare Management. February 1996.

Published in the Journal of Health Promotion for Northern Ireland, Issue 9, March 2000

Want some wellness program ideas and wellness policy ideas to get you started? Or maybe you want to jump start or improve upon your current wellness program?

The list below provides “best practices’ that can help meet any wellness program budget! the Health Promotion Program ideas are divided into topic areas.

General Wellness Progam Ideas

• Policy – Conduct an Employee Needs and Interest Survey

• Policy – Develop a management/employee Health Promotion Committee

• Policy – Choose heath plans that cover costs for weight control and smoking cessation

• Policy – Waive co-pay or reimburse for preventive health care visits

• Program – Display pamphlets on a variety of wellness topics for workers to take

• Program – Establish a wellness resource center or library with videos, books, magazines, DVD’s on a variety of topics of interest to employees

• Program – Identify staff who are mentors or champions for healthy activities and ask them to present or to list as a contact for other employees

• Program – Plan and promote periodic or regular educational sessions.

• Program – Plan monthly educational sessions on the national health observance topic

• Program – Post a Health Promotion Bulletin Board and update it monthly

• Program – Promote messages from national health observances during the month

• Program – Publish and/or post healthy tips in newsletters, paycheck stuffers, bulletin boards, etc.

• Program – Sponsor a benefits fair

• Program – Sponsor organization fitness and healthful eating challenges

• Program – Sponsor organization wellness fairs or other on-site events

Nutrition Programs

• Policy – Provide free, healthful snacks for personnel (fruit, nuts, popcorn)

• Policy – Give healthful meal choices in cafeterias and at organization events

• Policy – Provide information to employees about the nutritional content of food served in the cafeteria

• Policy – Start a fresh fruit “snack basket” in the breakroom or cafeteria

• Policy – Stock vending machines with healthier choices

• Policy – Subsidize healthful foods in the cafeteria or vending machines (10

Health testings are important health promotion programs to identify chronic condition in their early stages. Once identified, wellness intervention programs can help prevent a disease from progressing.

Working with local hospitals and other organizations, you can obtain information on providing screening and intervention programs that could improve your employees’ health and save your company money in absenteeism, treatment for illness complications, and decreased productivity.

Here are some ideas to help get you started.

Based on your Staff Member Needs and Interest Survey and the demographics of your workplace, consider offering periodic screenings to find specific health risks such as –

• Blood Pressure Checks to identify workforce with pre-hypertension or hypertension (high blood pressure),

• Cholesterol Screenings for total, HDL (good cholesterol), LDL (bad cholesterol) and/or Triglycerides

• Blood Sugar Screenings fasting or non-fasting to screen for possible diabetes,

• Body composition, like Body Mass Index  or body fat measures

• Bone density for potential risk of osteoporosis,

• Cancer screenings like, skin examinations, mammograms, or PSA screenings,

• Vision checks for glaucoma, or visual acuity

• Other screenings depending on your staff member population and needs

Your local hospital, organization physician practice, or health department my provide assistance. Nevertheless, if you have a young workforce you could want to concentrate on wellness programs that’ll keep them healthful rather than screening for early identification of chronic disease.

The focus of your health promotion program might  be healthful lifestyle practices to reduce risk and prevent illness.

In addition to the health testings, consider offering a Health Risk Appraisal (HRA) to all staff members.  The Health Risk Appraisal (HRA) will help to identify factors that might lead to additional risks, like smoking history, stress levels, perception of health, family history, job satisfaction, support systems, and psychological health.

Quite often the screening results are included on the Health Risk Assessment, which provides a more comprehensive snap shot of health risks.  The summary results provide the important information to plan appropriate interventions.

Wellness Program Interventions

The key to the success of screenings and HRAs is the interventions or follow-up programs.  The information from the screenings increases awareness and often excites staff members to consider making healthier changes.

It’s the follow up interventions that provide the essential support and assistance needed for personnel to actually make and maintain those changes.

The interventions can include individual follow-up and ongoing counseling, individual or group medical coaching on the risk factors, behavior change programs, and/or organizational support. Examples include –

• Strategies to lower blood pressure

• Managing diabetes

• Taking care of your heart

• Healthy eating

• Weight loss strategies

• Increasing exercise

• Use of tobacco Cessation

Of course, this is for individual information only. Any follow-up interventions planned by the corporation would be based on interest expressed by the staff member.

Based on the results and your Wellness Committee objectives you can plan the best strategies for your company and personnel. Consider the community resources available to provide services, such as health associations, hospitals, health care providers, and/or public health agencies.

Health Risk Appraisals (HRAs), are an assessment tool or questionnaire scientifically designed to identify health risks and outline information to assist person in making healthy changes that impact their health and prevent chronic illness.

Health Risk Appraisals (HRAs) have four standard elements in workplace establishings –

• A Questionnaire

• A Computerized Program to Evaluate Health Risk

• Confidential Individual Reports

• Group Summary Report

Person complete a lifestyle questionnaire that includes for example nutrition practices, height and weight, exercise habits, family history, stress perceptions, tobacco use history, and work satisfaction.

Another important feature to consider is readiness to change questions to determine participation interest. Including health screenings such as cholesterol and blood pressure (BP) causescreases the advantages of an Health Risk Appraisal (HRA) by providing a more precise health assessment and thus improving lifestyle choice decisions and health promotion program choices.

Nonetheless, it is imperative that you determine if the HRA can be used without including this information.

The questionnaire information is entered into a computer program and a personal confidential report is generated that summarizes health risks as well as information on how to lower risk factors.

Individual reports are completely confidential. Depending on the reason for beginning the Health Risk Appraisal, it’s crucial that you consider the kind of report the company will receive as well.

A group report summarizing major risk factors and recommendations for health promotion programs to start for reduce staff member and corporation risks provides valuable information for your health promotion program.

The HRAs can be used to –

• Bring awareness to individual worker’s health status

• Motivate workers to make healthier lifestyle changes

• Coach high-risk employees

• Plan health promotion programs based on the identified needs

• Measure wellness program success by comparing HRAs completed at set intervals like yearly.

There are numerous benefits to considering a part-time or full-time occupational and environpsychological health nurse (OHN). Occupational health nursing is the specialty practice that provides for and delivers health and safety programs and services to employees, and worker populations.

The practice focuses on promotion and restoration of health, avoidance of illness and injury, treatment of work and non-work related injuries and illnesses, and protection from work related  and environmental hazards.

OHN roles can include –  Case management, Counseling, Wellness, Legal and regulatory compliance, Clinical services, and Hazard detection and controls.

The American Association of Occupational and Environmental Health Nurses is the national association, www.AAOHN.org.  The State Chapter also has a website with information including local chapter information to help you find a contact near you, www.NCAOHN.org.

Health educators can design, conduct and evaluate activities that help enhance the health of all your workforce. They are subject matter professionals who may  be a valuable asset regardless your health promotion program needs and objectives.

They can help form a Wellness Committee and implement many of its health promotion programs and services, for instance or depending on the structure and time commitments of your Wellness Committee, they can also coordinate the entire health promotion program as well.

Integrating the activities of the Committee and/or Wellness Professional services within your operations, including within your safety and occupational medical program will provide additional benefits!

We’re planning company wellness programs to help you feel better and stay healthy. In order to plan wellness programs that best meet your needs and interests we’d like your suggestions!

Please take a few minutes to answer some questions about your interests. Your answers are going to be combined with those of other’s and reviewed to help plan wellness programs for you. Don’t sign your name.

Please complete the survey today and return it to__________. Thank you for your valuable input! Your help is important for planning successful health promotion programs. Return the completed form by _____________.

Rate your interest on a scale of 1 – 3 with one (1) being of little or no interest; two (2) being of some interest and three (3) indicating that you’re very interested. Indicate your response by circling or “Xing” the number.

I am interested in –

Participating in health promotion programs before work 1 2 3

Participating in wellness programs after work 1 2 3

Participating in health promotion programs during my lunch break 1 2 3

Learning healthy eating options to lose weight 1 2 3

Sports nutrition 1 2 3

Healthier cooking 1 2 3

Assisting my children eat healthier 1 2 3

Quick, healthy meals for busy life choices 1 2 3

Healthful snack options 1 2 3

Learning how to quit smoking 1 2 3

Attending classes to help me quit tobacco use cigarettes 1 2 3

Stress Mangement skills 1 2 3

Balancing work, family, and personal life 1 2 3

Time management skills 1 2 3

Participating in a beginning fitness program 1 2 3

Planning time to exercise for busy individuals  1 2 3

Getting medical information that I can peruse or watch at home 1 2 3

Learning about cancer prevention 1 2 3

Heart health choices 1 2 3

CPR and First Aid 1 2 3

Team sports activities at work 1 2 3

Learning how to stretch 1 2 3

Learning how to elevate intake of fruits and vegetables 1 2 3

Parenting Topics (age of kids –  ) 1 2 3

Onsite exercise classes –  walking Yoga aerobic other –  1 2 3

Biometric testing such as blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar 1 2 3

Program investigation may  be the last step, but it ought to be planned at the beginning of your efforts! Evaluation assists you identify what parts of the health promotion program are working well and what parts need improvement.  

Then, based on the investigation data, adjustments may be made to fine-tune your health promotion program.   Adjusting the health promotion program based on investigation data is crucial to its continued success.  

Evaluating your health promotion program does not have to be complicated.  HOWEVER, it’s crucial to plan how you’ll monitor your wellness efforts and determine success during the planning phase.  

Likewise remember to evaluate the health promotion program based on the objectives and objectives you already identified during your planning process.  

In order to evaluate your wellness program you need to have a system to document specifics as you go along.  This could be as simple as maintaining file folders on wellness programs that are offered, or a computer document with a table or spreadsheet summarizing information gathering.  Consider –

• Program topic and numbers of workers who participated

• The numbers of pamphlets taken by workers or distributed and on what topics

• The number of participants in a behavior change program and how many met their goals in addition to how many attended all the sessions

• Numbers of employees who continued the healthful behavior modification following the wellness program?

• Overall staff member satisfaction with the wellness program or each topic. Here is a sample evaluation form.  

Depending on your goals and goals, gather desired data and compare it to previous data gathered during the initial assessment to determine when the goals were met.  Such data might include

• Absentee rates

• Injury rates

• Health risk factors Insurance costs  

Summarize and Report Wellness Program Results

Once you’ve collected all of the evaluation information it needs to be reviewed with the Wellness Committee and summarized. You will probably have positive results and some areas where a change is needed or additional focus required for continuous improvement.  

This not-so positive information can be used to make any needed changes as well as to plan for next year and is important to include in your report.  

It’s crucial that you communicate the wellness program results to both upper management and staff members.  Consider how upper management typically receives reports on operations and productivity issues and include the annual wellness program report in the same format.  

At some organizations the reports are made during senior management meetings using presentation styles like power point slides.  At other organizations, graphs and bar charts are the norm or a list of the goals and the summary outcomes reported.  

No matter the format, it’s important to convey the outcomes and successes achieved, including any anecdotal stories, as well as areas for improvement. Make certain to link the outcomes to the company mission and bottom line whenever possible.

Employees want to receive the same information!  Consider using the same communication channels used when informing workers of the health promotion program –

• Company newsletters,

• Bulletin boards,

• E-mails  

Likewise consider celebrating successes and recognizing achievements by –

• Posting pictures from events

• Highlighting success stories

• Posting pictures of successes

• Scheduling a celebration

• Recognizing champions  

Armed with data, Wellness Program topic preferences, objectives, and objectives – and a Wellness Committee rearing to get things done – it’s now time to decide how best to take action.  This website provides tools to help you!  

You can peruse about the different kinds of wellness programs offered by other corporations to get an idea of what may work for your business.  

When your planning phase was well executed, you should simply have to follow through with the plans you’ve already made.  

Important Wellness Program considerations include –  

1. Formally Introduce the Health Promotion Program and consider policy statements that state the importance of the wellness program.  Examples include a general policy regarding the commitment to worker health and safety in addition to specific policies like No Use of tobacco, Healthy Consuming and Physical Activity.

2. Communicate Your Program –  the best planned wellness program with great wellness programs won’t be beneficial if your employees don’t know about it or don’t understand the options or how to participate.  Communicate your wellness program using a selection of methods to ensure the message and “how-to’s” are heard!

Wellness Program Communication Strategies could include –

• Newsletter articles

• Postings on the company’s intranet or internet

• A designated Champion of the health promotion program

• Formal or informal meeting to announce health promotion program, “the kick-off”

• flyers / table tents,

• Bulletin boards / kiosk where all material is promoted or found,

• Email / phone messages,

• Mailings or distributions  

3. Use Health Promotion Program Incentives –  You will be amazed to determine what individuals  will do for a free T-shirt.  Incentives can both support and motivate participation among workers.  

Consider both formal or company incentives and informal or wellness program rewards/prizes from local resources to reinforce participation in Wellness Programs. Either way, it is imperative that you provide incentives that are attractive and meaningful to your staff.

Company Structural or Formal Wellness Program Incentives –

• Discounts on worker health insurance premiums or co-pays, or contributions to 401K programs, worker stock options, or other mechanisms.  Click here for more information on health plan incentive ideas

• Health Club/Health Club discounts or enrollment fee coverage

• Public transportation vouchers

• Flexible work time options

• “Wellness Days” off work  

Rewards/Prizes or Informal Wellness Program Incentives –

• Cash – a very effective incentive!

• Prize incentives like gift certificates to heart healthful restaurants; music player to use while exercising, emergency kits, or any other prizes that would motivate your staff members.

• T-Shirts, water bottles, or other inexpensive rewards

4. Assess community resources available to provide some wellness services.  The local health department or your organization healthcare provider might  be able to assist you with this information.  There are also providers throughout the State providing excellent wellness services for companies. They’re available to help you strategize and find the best choices available.

5. Implement your wellness program as planned documenting information and outcomes as you go such as numbers of participants, dates of activities, and any other special details you’re tracking.

The Health Promotion Committee ought to set out a plan for the entire year that outlines accomplishing objectives and objectives, as well as provides details for marketing and advertising and investigating  the health promotion program.

The plan is the detailed map of what kinds of wellness programs will be offered, when and where they’ll be scheduled, how they’ll be marketed and evaluated, and what the budget is.  

It is imperative that you plan your wellness activities based on your objectives and objectives, as well as the budget since different strategies will yield different outcomes.  For example, if your objective is to elevate awareness on a topic, then distributing brochures or scheduling a one-time education session may  be appropriate.  

However, when your goal is to change behavior, then different strategies may  be necessary, such as ongoing weekly sessions and support groups.  Click here to link to Program Design Choices for more ideas.

Health Promotion Program Marketing

This is the time to plan your advertising and marketing strategies! Exactly how can you market the health promotion program and ongoing activities?  No matter how you decide to, market often, keep it fresh, and remind staff again and again!  

Consider having an overall kickoff activity to let everybody know about the health promotion program. Senior Level Management should provide the introduction or invitation so that all workforce are conscious of their support and leadership in the health promotion program.

Possible advertising methods –

• Sending email messages, including reminders

• Posting flyers,

• Displaying bulletin board postings,

• Writing articles,

• Sending letters or

• Sending special invitations.  

Other Wellness Program Considerations –

• Is the wellness program promoted to all staff or to a specific target audience?

• Do you’ve a health promotion program champion (someone who is connected with different groups in the corporation, and well respected) who can help in your promotion efforts?

• If your advertising efforts don’t seem to be working, do you’ve a way to revisit and adjust your strategy?

• Exactly how will you determine success and evaluate your health promotion program?  and how’ll you collect the information needed to evaluate your health promotion program?  

Topics most often included in Wellness Programs –

• Nutrition

• Exercise/Exercise

• Tobacco Use Cessation

• Bone Health

• Heart Health

• Healthful Back

• Stress Reduction

• Chronic Condition Awareness and Prevention

• Self-care; Wise Health Care Consumer

• Screening Services (Body Mass Index, blood pressure, bone density, cholesterol, glucose, posture, vision, and other…)

• Ergonomic Assessments

• Health Fairs

• Kids/family Events

• Others topics that employees have interest in  

The topics and type of Wellness Program planned depend on the needs and interest, overall goal and resources available.  

Program Design Options include awareness programs like flyers and/or education sessions, behavior modification or modification programs like smoking cessation and weight loss classes, and environmental or organizational support like no smoking policies or healthy selections in vending machines.  

The health promotion programs planned also depend on the demographics of your workforce. If you have a young, healthy workforce, you could want to focus the wellness attention on keeping staff healthy and not need to screen for illness.  

Instead you might want to focus on healthy lifestyle behavior such as exercise and good nutrition to prevent the start of disease.  Click here for additional information on strategies for keeping workers well, identifying disease early, or returning workers to work who already have a chronic condition.

It’s also crucial to consider, and plan how you will evaluate the success of your wellness program.  The system needs to be established for tracking certain data and recording events depending on the wellness program goals and desired outcomes.  

Step 7 discusses health promotion program investigation in more detail.   and Step 6 will launch your health promotion program!