Wellness Plans : Wellness Programs.

Health Promotion Programs are good for waistlines and your bottom line

In today’s hectic world, most of us are spending more time at work, and have increasingly less time to look after our health. for a long time, businesss have understood the benefits associated with keeping staff well – increased productivity from lowered absenteeism and lowered disability claims.

For these reasons, coupled with the fact that many organizations realized double-digit healthcare costs last year, organizations should consider Health Promotion Programs as a way to keep personnel healthful.

But just how important are these wellness programs to employees? Precisely how often are they willing to take part in wellness programs designed to positively impact their wellness? Who do personnel trust to provide them with important information about their health?

Answers to these questions and more were lately garnered from a study  commissioned by the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses Inc. (AAOHN).

The AAOHN survey questioned 500 staff members nationwide about their perceptions of Wellness Programs. More than three-quarters of all participants indicated these wellness programs are a good way to improve their overall health, and almost 60% consider these offerings an incentive to remain with their current corporation.

Employee retention and turnover impact the bottom line, so building health promotion programs into the work site culture is a valuable way to help retain talented employees as well to enhancing personal health and worksite productivity.

Health Promotion wish list

Workers appear to have their own agenda when it comes to their health. With new pressures resulting from an unstable economy, national security threats and work/balance issues, it is not surprising that 85% of survey respondents cited stress management as a priority topic for work site wellness.

In addition to stress, other preferred topic areas include health screening programs (84 percent), exercise/fitness programs (84 percent), health insurance education (81 percent) and disease management (DM) workshops (80 percent).

In addition to lifestyle and personal health issues, those asked expressed concern about work-related health issues, including strains and injuries resulting from lifting or task-oriented muscle repetition, exposure to harmful substances, personal injury, vision changes due to computer work and worksite violence.

Beginning a Health Promotion Program

With such a wide range of health concerns, a key goal for companys is finding a way to proactively address the health needs of the largest number of personnel, and effectively change unhealthy behaviors, promote wellness and ward off illness and illness.

Printed materials like flyers, posters, fliers or flyers present an easy solution. But it’s imperative that you remember that different people  require different formats for learning.

A good rule of thumb –  provide information in a selection of learning formats like videos, flyers, health-related quizzes, display boards, lunch and learn presentations and reimbursement or incentive programs.

This assumes you’ve overcome the first hurdle – getting individuals  to sign on to a health promotion program. While survey respondents indicated health promotion programs are important, just six out of 10 (60 percent) reported that they participated in the health promotion programs at their businesses.  The other 40 percent cited lack of interest and lack of time as deterrents.

This points to the need for a comprehensive, structured wellness program using a creative approach, with an incentive for participation and effective wellness program marketing.

By investing in an organized health promotion program headed by a qualified healthcare specialist such as an on-site nurse, businesses can give personnel the access to the health information they want, and increase participation and generate interest at the same time.

The result – personnel become savvier healthcare consumers who feel more in charge of their personal health.  And healthier personnel make for a healthier bottom line.