Posted by Worksite Wellness | Posted in worksite wellness programs | Posted on 19-11-2008
It is important to evaluate the effectiveness of all Worksite Wellness Programs. There are several very simple ways to evaluate Worksite Wellness Programs:
How many attended the corporate health and Worksite Wellness Program, and was there participation or a visible level of interest?
Use a short and simple pen and paper evaluation that people fill out at the end of the Worksite Wellness Program /seminar. Statements that are rated on a scale from 1 (strongly agree) to 5 (strongly disagree) will give valuable information. Ask about:
• The value of the Worksite Wellness Programs to the individual
• The style of the presenter
• The presenter’s knowledge of the topic
• The level of knowledge gained by the worker
• Other areas that would be of interest for future Worksite Wellness Programs
Examples of Questions about Worksite Wellness Programs
• This program provided me with information and/or skills I will use.
• The presenter was knowledgeable about the subject matter.
• There was adequate time for questions.
• The methods used to present the information were effective.
Open-ended questions about Worksite Wellness Programs may include:
• The best component of this Worksite Wellness Program was…
• The component that needed improvement was….
• I would attend another Worksite Wellness Program by this speaker…
• Topics I would like to see included in other seminars or Wellness Programs…
This would be a process evaluation that examines how well the Worksite Wellness Programs were started. It is also important to look at health outcomes and cost outcomes of Worksite Wellness Programs.
More in-depth information about the cost-effectiveness of Worksite Wellness Programs can be found by analyzing data before and after Worksite Wellness Programs concerning medical care claims, workers’ comp claims, sick time, productivity levels, etc. Health outcomes for Worksite Wellness Programs can be measured by looking at health claims and sick time.
It is also important to look at the impact of Worksite Wellness Programs on family members. For example, tobacco by pregnant mothers may lead to the birth of a severely impaired child. This could cost an employer or health plan hundreds of thousands of dollars, an expense that could have been avoided with well-designed Worksite Wellness Programs.
You can also compare the cost per worker of running the Worksite Wellness Programs to the savings per worker. One evaluation of Worksite Wellness Programs involving 20,000 to 25,000 workers at New York City-based Citibank showed a return of $6.70 for every dollar the company invested in Worksite Wellness Programs. The findings were based on a study of medical costs and rates of absenteeism.1
An ongoing evaluation of your Worksite Wellness Programs should be performed each year and additional periodic evaluations of Worksite Wellness Programs should be conducted on an ad hoc basis. An ad hoc evaluation of your Worksite Wellness Programs might be initiated by a variety of triggers. For example, at the end of flu season, a company might want to evaluate its flu shot program.