Setting Employer Health and Wellness Program Priorities
Most companies do not have the Employer Health and Wellness Program resources to address all of their health needs at once. Priorities must be set to determine the most pressing health needs. Use the steps below to prioritize company Wellness needs.
Assess the health needs of the population.
Collect data about the health needs in the community. How?
• Community- or target group-specific surveys
Establish health needs and at-risk populations.
Use the data to identify leading health needs and also high risk populations. By way of example:
• Obesity and overweight
• Injury prevention
• Self care
Reduce the list.
Not every health need can (or should) be addressed. Use the following questions to determine which health needs should be addressed first.
• How does the health need impact operational readiness? How big is the impact?
• What are the Upper Management priorities? How does the health need fit into those priorities?
• What are the behavioral factors affecting the health need? What is the evidence that a behavior change will make a difference? Has the behavior been successfully changed by other Employee Wellness Programs?
• What other physical, social, or environmental factors influence the health need or the target population?
• Is the health need a greater problem at the local level than in the U.S. population as a whole?
• Does the organization have the subject matter expertise and resources to address the health need?
Develop Employer Health and Wellness Program recommendations.
Only a handful of specific health needs should be focused on in a given year. Keep the following in mind as recommendations are developed as to which specific health needs will be addressed:
• Avoid duplication of other ongoing Employee Wellness Programs whenever possible. Establish Employee Wellness Programs already addressing the health need and/or the target population.
• Establish and assess available resources. Build on existing services whenever possible.
Use the recommendations to offer tailored, targeted, integrated initiatives to address the prioritized list of health needs. Prioritizing health needs will keep Employee Wellness Programs focused, maximize efficient use of resources, and align Wellness efforts with Upper Management goals and priorities.
References
• US Department of Health and Human Services, Planned Approach to Community Health, http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/publications/PATCH/index.htm.
• Implementing a Comprehensive Community Wellness and Well Being Program, presentation by CHPPM-EUR at the 2006 Force Health Protection Conference