participants with extrinsic motivators and then shift them toward personal, intrinsic motivations to ensure sustained risk reduction.


Identifying at-risk individuals and promoting lifestyle modification


programs that facilitate action Of employees engaging in wellness- related offerings, 87% participate in lifestyle-management programs, while 13% participate in disease-management. For employers’ costs, however, the ratios are reversed: 87% of employers’ healthcare cost savings is linked to disease management while 13% is associated with lifestyle modification.5


For this


reason, successful programs provide both offerings, combining the two programs to yield a beter return on investment. In Quest Diagnostics’ employee wellness program, for example, we use biometric screenings as a needs assessment for preventive interventions, like prediabetes risk, to guide individuals into diabetes prevention programs. Additionally, we assess risk factors for cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease. With the screening data as a foundation, we draw on medical information to create a health and wellness profile to assess risk and then formulate risk-reduction and condition- management programs.


Offering a personalized experience


General wellness programs


without an employee-specific focus will generally fail. Healthcare is personal; individuals are motivated by personal, not collective, wellness. Screening results reporting for participants must be personal to drive individual countermeasures. For


example, employers focus on identifying individuals with prediabetes through screening programs. Based on screening results, at-risk employees are invited to participate in a Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) which may reduce risk for diabetes by establishing and sustaining lifestyle changes. Lifestyle intervention programs are an effective way for individuals with prediabetes to reduce the risk of progression to diabetes. A cohort study funded by the National Institutes of Health showed a 58% reduction in new diabetes cases following education and intervention through a CDC-recognized DPP.6


Linking employees with in-network condition


management


Te best programs provide direct connections to in-network medical care. Optimally, wellness programs should lead employees to engage in their health with their existing primary care physician, or suggest a high-quality, local, in-network physician. By doing this, employee wellness programs are proactively working to keep employees healthy while keeping their care in-network. All employee wellness programs are not


created equal. But with careful veting of the options at hand, employers can create a healthier workplace while maximizing their return on investment. ❚


References


1. PricewaterhouseCoopers. Behind the Numbers 2018. Behind the numbers: 2018. https://www.pwc.com/us/ en/health-industries/health-research-institute/behind-the- numbers.html. Accessed October 13, 2017.


2. Claxton G, Rae M, Panchal N, Damico A, Whitmore H, Bostick N, and Kenward K. Health Benefits In 2013: Moderate Premium Increases In Employer-Sponsored Plans. Health Affairs. http://content.healthaffairs.org/ content/32/9/1667.short. Published September 1, 2013. Accessed October 13, 2017.


3. Emerman E. Companies Expand Well-Being Programs and Increase Financial Incentives. NBGH Press Release. https://www.businessgrouphealth.org/news/nbgh-news/


press-releases/press-release-details/?ID=322. Published April 11, 2017. Accessed October 13, 2017.


4. Fensholt EC. Employer’s Guide to Wellness Programs. January 2010.


5. Mattke S, Liu H, Caloyeras J, et al. Do Workplace Wellness Programs Save Employers Money? RAND Corporation. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB9744. html?utm_medium=referral. Published January 9, 2014. Accessed October 13, 2017.


6. Diabetes Prevention Research Group. Reduction in the Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes with Lifestyle Intervention or Metformin. New England Journal of Medicine. 2002;346(6):393-403. doi:10.1056/nejmoa012512.


Wendi Mader is the Director of Marketing Strategy for Quest Diagnostics. Wendy has nearly 15 years of experience in the employee health and


wellness industry. At Quest Diagnostics, she led the development and design of the initial in-house wellness platform that included scheduling, health assessments, reporting solutions and outcomes based incentive processing. Wendi has also served as the Senior Product Manager for reporting solutions, where she focused on transforming data into meaningful insights to move participants towards engaging in health improvement. In addition, she directed the development and design of the aggregate reporting platform that provides employers with population level insights that inform future benefits strategies for Quest Diagnostics Health & Wellness clients. Today, Wendi brings her years of experience in building wellness solutions and analyzing data to clients and the industry by leading marketing and strategy for Quest Diagnostics Health & Wellness. Wendi began her career at Summex Health Management, now WebMD Health Services, where she managed clients and the product lines for large health plans and biometric screening providers. Wendi holds a Master’s degree in health education, health promotion and fitness management from the University of Northern Iowa. She earned her B.S. in health science from Truman State University.


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