Wellness Program Follow-Up.

The keys to a successful wellness program are persistent one-on-one outreach and follow-up counseling to encourage health improvement, adherence to treatment programs, changes in lifestyle behaviors, and to prevent relapse.

Periodic outreach and follow-up procedures provide employees with a safety net which keeps them involved in the program and prevents treatment dropout and relapse.

Counselors ought to follow up on workers at least every 6 months throughout the career of the worker at the worksite. the objectives of follow-up are to –  

• Involve workers who have health risks in treatment and risk reduction programs.

• Involve all employees in health improvement programs and worksite-wide wellness activities.

• Support workers in carrying out the risk reduction or health improvement activities they have chosen.

• Be sure to help employees follow their treatment programs.

• Prevent relapse.

• Avoid workers from dropping out.

• Make certain to help employees maintain behavior changes.

Follow-up can be conducted in individuals, by phone, mail, and via computer when the technology is available. Most preferable is an in-person contact.

Computer programs which may do case load management are available to help counselors track information and perform follow-up.

Priorities for Follow-Up

Individuals  with multiple health risks should be at the top of the list. Individuals  in key positions like union leaders or department heads with health risks should also be contacted early so that they learn what the program is about and can share the information with others.

Individuals  who need a medical analysis for high blood pressure (BP) or cholesterol should also be targeted early. Many employees will have seen their physicians so of the screening, but some will need more encouragement to do so. Those with no health risks may be followed up each year.

A follow-up counseling session can take 20 to 45 minutes. at minimum, follow-up must include those who were told to seek medical analysis for high blood pressure (BP) readings, high cholesterol readings, or borderline high blood cholesterol readings with 2 or more other risk factors.

It may include those who were identified as at-risk for one or more of the other major risk factors –  at-risk levels of alcohol consumption, being overweight, and having low HDL.

Follow-Up With Doctors

A letter (see forms) must be sent to the doctor or clinic of each staff member who’s high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or is under a doctor’s care.

The letter should explain the program and should include the employee’s relevant, current health measurements.

Along with the letter, send a self-addressed return envelope. Follow-up with the doctor should be repeated every 6 months until it’s determined that the worker is under satisfactory control.

Contacting the doctor is important for three reasons –

• the physicians receive employees’ health measurements taken at the worksite.

• You receive the blood pressure (BP) and cholesterol readings the doctor takes and information on the treatment the doctor prescribes.

Many times the employee doesn’t have this information or doesn’t remember it. the information can be used when counseling the employee.

• Follow-up encourages doctors to pay closer attention to heart disease risk factors among their patients.