Measuring Wellness Program Results.

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

The Staff Member 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 Investigation

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

Information that is collected from the various forms that wellness workers fill out should supply you with the following –

• How many workers were screened?

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

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

• How many employees who were referred to health improvement programs went?

• How many staff members who went to health improvement programs completed them?

• How many staff members are in follow-up caseload?

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

Wellness Program Outcome Analysis

A central objective of the program is to improve the health of employees. Information on how to judge how well your program is meeting this objective is called “outcome evaluation” because you’re evaluating  the end results or outcome of your program.

In wellness programs, objectives are measured by specific (outcomes) behavior changes and reductions in health risk levels. Have workers 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 can 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 is the change in average blood pressure (BP) levels among all employees with high blood pressure (BP) 1 year after screening? Two years later?

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

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

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

• for employees who were overweight at screening, what percentage have lost 20 pounds or more a year later? Ten pounds or more? What is 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 employees 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 employees, what percentages are exercising at least three times a week for at least 20 minutes?

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

Be sure to set a regular time such as every 6 months to look at which employees your program is reaching and how effective it is 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 may feel that examination is a frill; it’s not. Evaluation is a necessary part of a wellness program. You will need to know what’s working and what’s not.

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