The program design choices depend on the objectives and desired outcomes of your program. If your goal is to help workers change behavior, reduce risk factors, or save health care dollars then your health promotion program would be designed to accomplish those outcomes and a budget would be necessary to support that design.
There are different health promotion program design levels depending on desired outcomes and budgets. Each level has advantages and disadvantages. The intentions or results are quite different, aren’t interchangeable for obtaining the same results, and thus shouldn’t be confused.
For example, scheduling activities such as an worker health fair or lunchtime education sessions, or having handouts available don’t typically result in behavior change, but might increase awareness on a topic.
When the goal is behavior modification then a different design is required, such as Lifestyle/Behavior Change Programs and Organizational Support. The outline below describes the wellness design levels with a brief explanation.
Awareness Programs – at this level a company makes health information available and accessible to staff members. This type of program can include brochures on a selection of topics, wellness articles in newsletters, bulletin board displays, e-mail health messages, etc.
Also, most health fairs are designed as awareness programs with vendors providing information and providing biometric screenings to employees.
Awareness programs are cheap and don’t require robust worker or business time commitments. Nevertheless, these programs don’t typically result in healthier behavior change.
Increasing awareness is not normally enough to generate lifestyle changes for most person, unless used to motivate employees to register for a program being offered at the corporation or community on the topic.
An example of this would be providing information on the harmful effects of use of tobacco and inviting workers who smoke to register for a use of tobacco cessation class.
Education Programs – Educational programs often provide more information on a topic and can also provide time for questions and answers, but are similar to awareness programs. An example is lunch-n-learn sessions on a health related topic.
These cost the business a little more than awareness programs; nevertheless, they’re still affordable and don’t require a great deal of time for planning or attending a session.
Again, increasing awareness and providing information might not lead to the desired behavior modification unless ongoing support or incentives are also planned.
Lifestyle/Behavior Change Programs – These programs are designed as 4 to 12 weekly sessions or workshops to provide wellness education, address barriers and provide opportunities to practice the desired skills.
Behavior change programs thus require more company resources, cost more, and require more worker commitment, time and effort. The results are often the desired positive lifestyle change, which when sustained can lead to potential cost savings.
Examples are tobacco use cessation classes, weight loss and weight management meetings, or an ongoing fitness program.
Environmental and Organizational Support – Environmental support is often considered the highest and most vital level to include when designing your health promotion program in order to support and maintain healthful behaviors.
These kinds of design choices include policy changes such as –
• Creating a smoke-free workplace
• Designating a walking path,
• Establishing on-site fitness clubs,
• Ensuring healthy vending machine selections,
• Offering healthful food choices in the cafeteria, and/or
• Establishing flex-time policies.
Other examples include subsidizing healthful vending machines or cafeteria choices; reimbursing fitness club or weight loss and weight management program memberships; or providing insurance incentives for healthful behaviors.
Ideally, the health promotion program design would include some of all these choices. The more comprehensive and integrated the approach, the more successful the results will be. For example, a corporation can –
• have smoking cessation information available;
• can schedule a one hour awareness session on the harmful effects of tobacco use and how to quit;
• can implement an on-site use of tobacco cessation program,
• supply self quit tobacco use kits, or
• support staff members to attend a community program; and/or
• on an environmental support level can establish a tobacco-free workplace and grounds,
• offer lower insurance premiums for non-smokers, or
• provide pharmacological quit smoke aids for free.
Health Promotion Program – Components for Success
There are several key components or elements that should be considered to ensure the success of your Health Promotion Program or health promotion program. These include –
• Upper-Level Management Support and Employee Involvement
• Active Health Promotion Committee
• Program is Based on Worker Needs and Interests
• Objectives and Objectives are Established
• Detailed Action Plan Based on Resources and Budget
• Program Implementation and Internal Marketing
• Evaluation of Outcomes and Program
Corporate Wellness Companies