Despite all the money, time and effort employers have poured into workplace wellness initiatives, workers are not getting with the program. And according to one expert, it’s because employers are going about it entirely wrong.
John Palumbo, CEO of HealthRight, a comprehensive ehealth services provider, says employers need to deploy an entirely new mindset in their approach to employee health, including a more segmented strategy.
Palumbo cites Rand Health, which reports that approximately only 20% of employees participate in workplace wellness programs.
“This number is shockingly low when you consider all of the recent steps employers have been taking in order to try and get their employees healthier - including handing out Fitbit wellness trackers, creating smoking cessation programs, and more,” he says.
The long-term goal
While doling out gadgets and organizing fitness challenges are great temporary strategies, Palumbo explains that they don’t deliver long-term solutions. Rather, employers need to understand that improving their employees’ health and well-being must involve creating an overall culture of health and wellness, and that starts with believing that healthcare is an investment, not a cost.
Palumbo and his HealthRight team have conducted research over the last 15 years that shows the highest-performing shareholder companies in the U.S. are those companies who are also the most successful in creating cultures of health and wellness.
That’s why he believes that employers should take advantage of value and bundle healthcare services that deliver all five cohorts of population health – the well, the at risk, the acute/episodic, the chronic and the catastrophic – with the highest quality care at the best price. By doing so, employers can help their employees take preventative measures now that will help avoid dangerous and costly situations down the road.
Palumbo offers some ideas on how to manage each of those categories with health and wellness in mind:
“Well” - At its core, the culture of wellness will shift focus to preventive, rather than reactive care. By keeping the “well” people well and improving education and healthy behaviors, employers will be in a position to reduce employee risk factors and slow, or even mitigate, many chronic conditions, Palumbo says. Leading from the top, he adds, employers have the ability to influence employee populations through relatively low cost, highly effective wellness and health programs.
“At-Risk” – In this case, creating a culture of wellness can provide significant benefit to those at-risk. Establishing of holistic programs, including smoking cessation, diet/nutrition and exercise directly addresses factors that often lead to the most commonly acknowledged chronic conditions (e.g., COPD, Diabetes).
In addition, 24/7 access to caregivers and clinically valid information, preventative screenings and coordinated community health centers can help detect chronic conditions early, facilitating early intervention and treatment as well as providing more effective care coordination to reduce complications.
“Acute/Episodic” As a nation, Palumbo says we are experiencing a shortage in primary care doctors, leading to long wait times – even for acute care. In addition, patient demand is increasing. Rather than heading to the ER, the creation of employer-based worksite clinics, the increase in support for patient centered medical homes, and the offering of technology-enabled solutions like telehealth make it possible for patients to get the care they need, when they need it.
Developing personalized health networks that offer value-based bundled procedures will also be critical in lowering costs and improving outcomes. Early and effective treatment of acute conditions improves productivity and can reduce absenteeism.
“Chronic” - As the prevalence of chronic conditions continues to rise, employers are experiencing higher medical expenses and reduced productivity, according to Palumbo. By working with community-based providers in patient-centered medical homes, referring patients to centers of excellence for treatment, and offering incentives for greater adherence and compliance with recommended treatment, employers can expect a reduction in patient complications and costs, while improving employee outcomes.
“Catastrophic” – Finally, although the smallest segment of the population, those with catastrophic illnesses or conditions account for the largest health care expenses. When employers develop case management programs, Palumbo says, their employees with catastrophic conditions receive compassionate, well-coordinated care, fulfilling the promise of population health management by supporting high quality, cost-effective treatment.
“When healthcare is seen as an investment, not as a cost,” Palumbo says, “our research found that employers really begin to understand that for every dollar they spend on healthcare, they’re increasing employee productivity and making a real contribution to that company’s success.”