Inside the Numbers: Wellness Programs Do Work

As corporate well-being programs become more popular, decision-makers face increasing pressure to justify their cost and quantify their impact on employee health. However, the industry lacks a uniform method to measure the effectiveness of these programs. Traditionally, the industry has focused on assessing the impact of lowering specific health risks (such as smoking, stress and weight), with little acknowledgment of the interplay between those risks. What if there was a different way to evaluate your well-being program? We decided to build a model to evaluate the impact of our well-being program. We will review our research that evaluates a novel algorithm based on an employee’s modifiable risk factors and preventive screenings. In this session, we will demonstrate how improving one area of health will, in turn, improve others. After completing this session, participants will be able to: (1) Prove employee well-being programs do work, (2) Look at comprehensive health factors -- rather than isolated variables for effective program results, and (3) See how one leading employer lowered health risk scores and saved over $1100 per employee.