Measuring Wellness Program Results.

Information to evaluate your program comes from routinely gathered screening and follow-up data of your program that look at process and outcomes of your program.

The Employee Medical Program has available a computerized case-management system which includes queries that allow easy assessment of process and outcome results at any point in time.

Process Analysis

Process evaluation looks at the program’s impact as seen at various points in time.

Information that is gathered from the various forms that wellness employees fill out ought to supply you with the following –

• How many workers were screened?

• How many workers who were referred to a doctor went?

• How many employees who expressed interest in health betterment programs went?

• How many workers who were referred to health betterment programs went?

• How many workers who went to health betterment programs completed them?

• How many workers are in follow-up caseload?

You can use this kind of process investigation to evaluate and learn about the health of your program.

Wellness Program Outcome Examination

A central objective of the program is to improve the health of staff members. Information on how to judge how well your program is meeting this objective is called “outcome investigation” because you’re investigating  the results or outcome of your program.

In wellness programs, goals are measured by specific (outcomes) behavior changes and reductions in health risk levels. Have staff members lowered their blood pressure? Have they lost weight? Are they exercising more? is alcohol consumption at a safe level?

For example these are the types of questions you are able to ask to find out when you’re reaching your goals –  

• for workers with high blood pressure (140 / 90 or higher or on medication) at screening, what percentage have it under control (below 140 / 90) a year later?

• What’s the change in average blood pressure (BP) levels among all staff members with high blood pressure (BP) 1 year after screening? Two years later?

• for staff members with high blood cholesterol levels (above 240) at screening, what percentage has decreased their cholesterol to borderline-high levels (200-239)?

• for employees with borderline-high blood cholesterol levels, what percentages have lowered their cholesterol to the desirable range (below 200)?

• What’s the change in average cholesterol levels among all employees with high and borderline-high blood cholesterol levels 1 year after screening? Two years later?

• for staff members who were overweight at screening, what percentage have lost 20 pounds or more a year later? Ten pounds or more? What’s the typical weight loss?

• for staff members who were smokers at screening, what percentages have quit use of tobacco? for at least a year?

• for staff members whose level of alcohol consumption put them at-risk at screening, what percentage have quit drinking alcohol? Are consuming alcohol at levels considered safe by CDC guidelines? Have reduced their drinking, but are still at-risk?

• for staff members, what percentages are exercising at least three times a week for at least 20 minutes?

• If fitness levels were measured, what percentages have improved fitness?

Make sure to set a regular time like every 6 months to look at which employees your program is reaching and how effective it’s at helping them reduce their health risks. Use this information to make new decisions about how to direct your program efforts. Then make the change you need to improve your program.

Some might feel that evaluation is a frill; it is not. Investigation is a necessary part of a wellness program. You will need to know what is working and what is not.

Decision-makers who fund the program need to be updated on the performance of the program. Analysis will provide you with necessary data to maintain and expand the program and convince management to continue to support the program.