Have you been thinking about scheduling a biometric health screening for your workplace?
If so, it’s probably less time intensive than you think. While there are some downfalls you can’t control — how many people will participate?! — there are a lot of positives to getting the overall data on the health of your employees.
Here we dive into the details — including pros and cons — of biometric health screenings.
What is a Biometric Health Screening?
A biometric health screening is a sequence of health tests designed to provide insight into your employees’ overall health. In short, it shows how healthy your workforce is so you can improve your company’s health offerings and/or encourage specific preventative screenings.
Biometric screenings test:
- Cholesterol & Glucose
- Blood Pressure
- Height/Weight/Body Mass Index (BMI)
- Waist Circumference
After your employees have been screened, you’ll receive an aggregate report to see what health issues are the most pressing to address with your team. You won’t be able to see individual results due to HIPAA laws, but you can get an excellent picture of what wellness initiatives to focus on overall.
What are the Pros of Hosting a Biometric Screening?
As with most health programs, there are a lot of benefits to hosting an on-site event. Even a basic blood pressure measurement — which is part of the screening — can make a difference in an employee's life by indicating potential underlying health issues.
A biometric screening will:
- Offer results to help employees get their health on track
- Help improve employee health before they get visibly sick
- Instant cause and effect information has a greater impact on behavior
A few of the major benefits of biometric screenings include:
Supports your wellness program - Without hosting annual screenings, you won’t know how your employees’ health is progressing or how well your programs are doing. Biometric screenings also help you learn what’s working and where you need to improve workplace health.
Early diagnosis of conditions before symptoms begin - There’s a reason an annual physical is recommended — it keeps patients informed of any potential health issues they need to monitor. By taking preventative measures via a biometric screening, it can also lower insurance and medical costs by starting treatment before conditions become serious.
Employees can make healthier choices immediately - Thanks to the instant results like learning about high blood pressure, for example, employees can take positive action. That may mean an additional screening, diet change, or adding some exercise to their routine.
Keeps employees accountable - Regular screenings help employees monitor the effects of their choices and how positive changes are impacting their health. It’s a perfect time for employers to share their wellness programs that could assist employees with achieving their health goals.
Convenient time saver for everyone - Employees don’t have to use work time to travel to a lab or facility. They also don’t have to wait days for results; they can get same-day results discussed in real-time when a screening is hosted on-site at work.
What are the Cons of Hosting a Biometric Screening?
While there are mostly positive benefits to hosting a biometric screening, you may find there are some small challenges that are out of your control. In all wellness program decisions, making sure the pros far outweigh the cons will help you make the choice that’s right for your staff.
Some cons to screenings:
- Employees feel stressed over potential results
- Staffers afraid of needles may avoid the screening
- Employers can’t force anyone to be screened
A few of the downsides of biometric screenings may include:
Employees may receive unexpected results - Learning about new health concerns isn’t always a pleasant experience. The process can be stressful for employees if biometric screening results aren’t ideal. On the flip side, it can be the motivation they need to make healthier choices and participate in the company wellness program.
Choosing a screening company - There are plenty of companies out there that offer biometric screenings. As a result, it takes time to review different companies’ offerings and costs. You can learn more about the TotalWellness biometric screening process here.
Incentives and marketing - Sometimes it takes a little bit of motivation to get employees excited about health. Your employees may be more likely to participate with incentives, which can cost more. Additionally, marketing a biometric screening event takes time. TotalWellness packages come with marketing materials to help.
Off-site employees may miss out - If you have any remote employees, they may not be able to attend the on-site screening. Consider sending information to these employees to visit in-network labs or use mail kits.
Scheduling and conditions - Lastly, scheduling can sometimes be chaotic when you have a large staff to accommodate. Choose a day and time that works for as many employees as possible to get the best results. You’ll also need to book rooms within your office for testing along with private areas for counseling.
Biometric Screenings Guide Your Team to Better Health
When biometric screening events are done properly, the pros for employees and employers far outweigh the cons.
When working with an outside vendor like TotalWellness, most of the work is done for you. The main responsibilities for an employer include spreading the word and making sure employees sign up.
Post screenings, your wellness committees can reconvene to work on health initiatives that will best serve your employees. At the end of the screening, you’ll have valuable data to improve your current wellness programs.
Plus, employees will be better prepared to make choices that improve their health and lifestyle.
By hosting a screening, companies demonstrate an interest in employee overall well-being that bridges the gap between workplace health and overall health.
Ready to learn more about scheduling a biometric health screening? Reach out to TotalWellness today to find out how we make it easy to get your employees’ health back on track!
