| "75% of health care spending pays for illnesses | | | | support they need to stay fit, manage stress and |
| which are preventable".- Centers for Disease | | | | continue to make good health decisions. Programs |
| Control | | | | often include initiatives such as health risk |
| Four of the leading causes of death in the | | | | assessments, on-site screenings, preventive care |
| nation--heart disease, cancer, stroke, and chronic | | | | reminders, health club memberships, and financial |
| obstructive pulmonary disease --are directly linked | | | | incentives. |
| to unhealthy lifestyles and tobacco use. | | | | By promoting healthy behaviors, employers can |
| Encouraging individuals to adopt healthy habits and | | | | reduce overall healthcare costs and absenteeism |
| practices may reduce the burden of chronic | | | | as well as support a "culture of health" and |
| disease in communities throughout the United | | | | wellness. |
| States. Public and private efforts and programs | | | | Health Improvement Plans |
| are increasingly designed to promote these | | | | Health improvement plans are about identifying |
| healthy behaviors and lifestyles. Employers are | | | | high-risk factors, and preventing or slowing |
| becoming more aware that obesity, lack of | | | | disease progression and encouraging individuals |
| physical activity, and tobacco use are adversely | | | | through education and one-on-one behavioral |
| affecting the health and productivityof their | | | | health coaching to begin altering their risky actions. |
| employees and ultimately, the businesses' bottom | | | | The types of behavioral-related high-risk factors |
| line. As a result, innovative employers are | | | | addressed by health improvement programs |
| providing their employees with a variety of | | | | include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, |
| work-site-based health promotion and disease | | | | tobacco cessation, and weight management. |
| prevention programs using health coaches and the | | | | Individuals with known or potential health |
| "trans- theoretical theory of change" approach to | | | | conditions may be aware of elevated risks but |
| wellness. These programs have been shown to | | | | have not found the motivation to change. They |
| improve employee health, increase productivity | | | | haven't experienced any major hospitalization or |
| and yield a significant return on investment for | | | | serious complications - yet. However, without |
| the employer. | | | | some form of intervention, their conditions will |
| What is a Health Coaching Program? | | | | likely progress to a much higher-cost, |
| Health coaching programs help people make smart | | | | productivity-limiting chronic disease. |
| choices about health behaviors through education, | | | | Disease Management |
| motivation and reinforcement of healthy options. | | | | The goal of disease management is to empower |
| Taking the time to build a rapport, assess | | | | individuals to effectively manage disease and |
| readiness to change, identify areas of need and | | | | prevent complications through adherence to |
| to create an action plan, leads to a healthier | | | | medication regimens, regular self-monitoring of |
| outcome. Research proves that this personalized, | | | | vital signs and healthful diet, exercise and other |
| collaborative approach is more effective than the | | | | lifestyle choices by education, support and |
| cookie-cutter method that often leaves those | | | | encouragement of both the physician and the |
| most at risk far behind. | | | | health coach. |
| Health Coaches typically are licensed, degreed | | | | For employers, the cost of chronic disease goes |
| healthcare professionals that have made the | | | | far beyond the direct costs of healthcare and |
| choice to work one-on-one with their clients, | | | | medical expenses. Absenteeism due to lost wages |
| outside of the typical "medical model"; | | | | amounts to $65 billion annually for American |
| empowering them to make long-term healthy | | | | companies. This cost is compounded by the |
| changes by building solid skills that will last a | | | | impact of lost productivity due to workers who |
| lifetime. | | | | are limited in the amount or kind of work they |
| Wellness Promotion | | | | can do, which can be as high as 34% of the total |
| Employee wellness education is the starting point | | | | workforce. Disease management programs have |
| of prevention. It is about encouraging individuals | | | | proven to not only control health benefit costs |
| who have demonstrated the behaviors of healthy | | | | but also improve the overall health and |
| living and providing them with the tools and | | | | productivity of workplace environments. |