If you change it, they will come
Rejuvenate program for a fresh perspective
Even a successful wellness program can use a little tinkering now and then to keep things interesting to employees. That's what Minneapolis-based Honeywell Inc., nationally known for its innovative wellness techniques, found out in 1995 when participation became sluggish.
Although Honeywell's Life$avers wellness program has seen participation rates ranging from 50% to 70%, a drop in these numbers prompted the company to re-examine the program's incentive structure, says Jean Bey, RN, MPH, COHN, health services manager for the electronic controls and solutions company.
"We used to give the entire [$300] award at the end of the year," she recalls. "In 1995, we decided to give a $50 gift certificate for coming in and getting a health risk screening, with the rest of the incentive to be paid at the end of the year. That resulted in a 15% boost in participation."
The incentive program, as currently structured, requires the completion of four major components:
1. An on-site cardiovascular risk factor screening. This is a complete fasting blood lipid profile and also profiles blood glucose levels. Once the blood is drawn, the employee fills out a health questionnaire. Within a week, the results come back, and the employee is scheduled for a 15-minute on-site screening for height, weight, body mass index, blood pressure, and a carbon dioxide breath test to check for smoking. Then, the employee sits down with a health educator to review the screening results and the questionnaire responses and receives suggestions on how he or she might improve his or her health status. The employee receives a $50 cash certificate just for participating in the screening.
2. Age- and sex-appropriate cancer screenings. For women, this means an annual Pap smear once they reach the age of 18 and a mammogram every other year from age 40 to 49 and every year after age 50. Both men and women over 50 must have a flexible sigmoidoscopy (an examination of the rectum and colon via a flexible tube or scope) every five years.
3. Consumer Health Education. This requires attendance at a minimum of two classes per year. In the first year, participants receive a copy of the self-care book Take Care of Yourself and have to take two required classes - one on health care consumerism; the other on physical activity.
4. Managing your health care. If a participant or one of their dependents is a high health care utilizer, they are asked to have a telephone conversation with one of Honeywell's internal nurse case managers. This is to ensure they are receiving appropriate care and that their needs are being met.
At the end of the year, employees who qualify in all categories receive a $250 cash award.
Restructuring the overall incentive program was just one way in which Bey has adjusted the program to make it more "user-friendly."
"We do a customer satisfaction survey every two years," she explains. "We found out from non-participants and dropouts that the program did not fit well with their travel schedules. So what we've done is offer consumer health education programs on videotape to meet their needs. Last year, we had over 50 people who came in for video classes."
Another shift was a move to make the awards more achievable for most employees. Some employees told Bey's staff the reason they didn't participate in the program was they didn't believe they could lose the weight they needed to qualify for the national standards for body mass index (BMI). "So we began to offer an award for those who participated in the program and met all the requirements, except BMI," says Bey. "If they lose 20 pounds in a year, they are given a partial award - $50 for the screening and a balance of $125. This was an important step; it sends a positive message to the participants." This year, says Bey, 14 employees qualified for this partial award.
Bey is convinced that the incentive program has helped lower her program's "dropout rate." "We have a lot of employees who come back year after year, and there's not any question in my mind that the incentives bring a large number back who would otherwise not have participated. A lot of employees have told me [the incentive program] helps them keep their risk factors in line."
And for high-risk employees, says Bey, incentives are a must. "It's very important for wellness professionals to recognize that if you want to get high-risk employees to participate, there has to be something in it for them," she concludes.
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