Employee Wellness Blog | TotalWellness

Supercharge Your Biometric Screenings

Written by Lisa Stovall | Mon, Aug 06, 2012

Biometric screenings are often one of the first steps in any corporate wellness program. They provide objective data that can be tracked over time and used to deliver more timely and personalized health interventions. And, the higher the participation rate, the more accurate the overall assessment of the employees' health status.

But despite the quantifiable and powerful nature of health screenings, average participation is still relatively low at 21-50%. 

Since the success of wellness programs hinges on whether employees participate, how do you ensure that 100% of your employee population has a chance to participate in a biometric screening? By empowering employees and letting them choose their preferred screening method.

TotalWellness offers a full array of screening options to help drive up participation rates:

Worksite Screenings
For large company locations, nothing beats on-site biometric screenings. You can offer a basic fingerstick test or go all-out and provide a full-blown health fair with fitness testing, body fat screening, carotid artery ultrasound and bone density screenings. TotalWellness events use positive reinforcement, rather than scare tactics to help motivate employees to healthier behaviors. 


At-Home
For workers who don’t come into an office or smaller locations, at-home test kits are perfect. Employees receive a kit by mail and follow the simple instructions to self-administer a quick fingerstick test. They mail the kit back and then get their results a couple weeks later. Plus, they receive access to a toll-free number where they can receive follow-up counseling.
 
Lab
For busy employees, those who travel a lot, or geographically dispersed workers, lab-based testing saves the day. Employees receive a packet that contains a list of medical facilities located within their zip code. They pick the location and schedule an appointment. The employee shows up at the designated time and receives results in the mail a couple weeks later.
Walgreens 
Walgreens provides testing at more than 4,100 stores, providing convenient access for your team. Employees use a voucher which can be distributed directly, emailed or posted on your intranet site for employees to download. The screening includes cholesterol and glucose (fingerstick) testing as well as height, weight, BMI, waist circumference, and blood pressure. Testing is held in a private or semi-private screening room and takes about 20 minutes.

Target Clinic
Participants print vouchers online using a unique company code. They can go to any Target Clinic (currently available at 53 Target locations) in their area to receive their biometric screening which includes a fingerstick cholesterol/glucose test, blood pressure, height/weight, BMI, and waist circumference.

Physician
Screenings can help employees build stronger relationships with their physicians. Employees print off a simple form and bring it to their doctor’s appointment. The physician conducts the annual physical exam and faxes the results directly to TotalWellness.

With TotalWellness, no matter which health screening option an employee chooses, all of the data is collected in an aggregate report. Our comprehensive report gives an overview of company health and the progress of the wellness program. This can help Human Resources professionals understand health trends and target wellness program specifically to employee needs.
 
Image Credit: JD Hancock