Staff Member Biometric Testing.

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

Working with local hospitals and other organizations, you are able to obtain information on providing screening and intervention programs that could improve your employees’ health and save your corporation money in absenteeism, treatment for disease complications, and lowered productivity.

Below are some ideas to help get you started.

Based on your Employee Needs and Interest Survey and the demographics of your workplace, consider offering periodic screenings to find specific health risks like -

o  Blood Pressure (BP) Checks to identify employees with pre-hypertension or hypertension (high blood pressure),

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

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

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

o  Bone density for potential risk of osteoporosis,

o  Cancer screenings like, skin investigations, mammograms, or PSA screenings,

o  Vision checks for glaucoma, or visual acuity

o  Other screenings depending on your worker population and needs

Your local hospital, organization doctor practice, or health department my provide assistance. Nevertheless, when you’ve a young workforce you could want to concentrate on wellness programs that will keep them healthy rather than screening for early identification of chronic illness.

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

In addition to the biometric testings, consider offering a Health Risk Assessment (HRA) to all personnel.  The Health Risk Assessment (HRA) will help to identify factors that might lead to additional risks, such as 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 robust 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 Health Risk Appraisals (HRAs) is the interventions or follow-up programs.  The information from the screenings increases awareness and often excites employees to consider making healthier changes.

It is the follow up interventions that provide the essential support and assistance needed for staff members 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 organizational support. Examples include -

o  Strategies to lower blood pressure

o  Managing diabetes

o  Taking care of your heart

o  Healthful eating

o  Weight loss strategies

o  Increasing physical activity

o  Tobacco use Cessation

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

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