Wellness screenings are significant programs to identify chronic disease in their early stages. Once identified, wellness behavior modification programs can help prevent a disease from progressing. Working with local hospitals and other organizations, you can get information on offering screening and behavior modification programs that could improve your employees’ health and save your employer money in absenteeism, treatment for disease complications, and reduced productiveness. Below are some ideas to assist you in getting started.
Based on your Employee Needs & Interest Survey and the demographics of your workplace, consider offering periodic screenings to find specific health risks such as:
• Blood Pressure Checks to identify employees 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, such as body mass index (BMI) or body fat measures
• Bone density for potential risk of osteoporosis,
• Cancer screenings such as, skin examinations, mammograms, or PSA screenings,
• Vision checks for glaucoma, or visual acuity
• Other health screenings depending on your worker population and needs
Your local hospital, employer physician practice, or health department may offer assistance. Still, if you have employees you may want to concentrate on programs that will keep them healthy instead of screening for early identification of chronic disease. The focus of your wellness program might be healthy lifestyle practices to decrease risk and prevent disease.
In addition to the health screenings, consider offering a Health Risk Appraisal / Health Risk Assessment to all employees. The Health Risk Appraisal / Health Risk Assessment will help to identify factors that may lead to additional risks, such as smoking history, stress levels, image of health, family history, job satisfaction, support systems, and mental health. Often the screening results are included on the Health Risk Appraisal / Health Risk Assessment, which supports a more accross the board snap shot of health risks. The summary results offer the significant information to plan appropriate interventions.
Workplace Health Promotion Program Interventions
The key to the success of screenings and Health Risk Appraisals / Health Risk Assessments is the interventions or follow-up programs. The data collected during the screenings increases awareness and often motivates employees to consider making healthier changes. It’s the follow up interventions that offer the critical reinforcement and assistance required for employees to actually make and maintain those changes. The interventions can include individual follow-up and ongoing counseling, individual or group health coaching on the risk factors, behavior change programs, and/or employer reinforcement. Examples include:
• Strategies to decrease Blood Pressure
• Managing diabetes
• Taking care of your heart
• Healthy eating
• Weight loss strategies
• Improving physical exercise
• Smoking Cessation
Naturally, this is for individual information only. Any follow-up interventions planned by the employer would be based on interest expressed by the employee.
Based on the results and your Workplace Health Promotion Program Committee objectives you can plan the best strategies for your employer and employees. Consider the area resources available to offer services, such as health associations, hospitals, healthcare providers, and/or public health agencies.
