How To Evaluate Workplace Health Promotion Programs

An increasing number of employers are introducing workplace health promotion programs with the expectation that these programs will improve employee health, lower healthcare spending, and increase worker productivity as a by­product of workers remaining healthy or becoming healthy. As more resources are directed toward health promotion programs, the need for effective program evaluation, supported by necessary data collection, is paramount. This workbook provides a practical measurement and evaluation guide for health promotion program managers and external evaluators. The purpose of the workbook is multifold. For program managers not trained in advanced statistical methods and evaluation research, the workbook illustrates the complexity of conducting studies and provides tools and guidance to assist in their evaluation efforts. For readers with advanced training in program evaluation, the workbook illustrates how techniques and principles used in other applied research studies can be adapted to workplace health promotion. This workbook, an update of the prior Program Evaluation chapter published in the third edition of O'Donnell's Health Promotion in the Workplace, places a greater emphasis on describing the three components of program evaluation: structure, process, and outcomes, with a particular focus on economic evaluations of worksite programs- specifically methods employed for conducting cost/benefit evaluations, otherwise known as return­on­investment (ROI) studies.

The purpose of this workbook is to provide a short guide on how to evaluate a workplace health promotion program. It addresses the value of program evaluation, types of evaluation, methodology to conduct outcomes evaluation, and strategies to conduct the evaluation

Shine a spotlight on the benefits of promoting health in the workplace Workplace Health Promotion Programs focuses on the incredible value that employee health programs can offer by exploring six key topics: behavioral health, physical health, healthy environments, health education, nutritional health, and physical activity. This in-depth resource explicitly establishes what successful workplace health promotion programs, services, and collaborations are, and then builds upon this foundational understanding by introducing methods and tools for promoting employee health and safety, while emphasizing the skills students need to do so. Through this resource, students will come to understand how to recognize employee health and safety opportunities, and how to think on a larger scale when it comes to workplace health initiatives in small, midsized, and larger employers that are comprehensive and fiscally sound. Workplace health promotion programs have the potential to both improve the health of the population as a whole and control healthcare spending in the process. Health problems are estimated to cost employers in the United States over $200 billion per year through medical costs, absenteeism, disability, and overall reduced productivity. Improving well-being through effective workplace health promotion programs can reduce this cost—and create healthier, happier workforces. Discover the design, implementation, and evaluation of workplace health promotion programs that address the range of employee health needs and concerns Understand how evidence-based programs can positively impact business and reduce health care cost Explore the larger scale implications of successful workplace health programs, including health policies, health insurance design, worker safety, employee behavior, etc. Learn how together employers and employees work to create a culture of health and well-being to support and promote employee health and safety Review the ways in which successful workplace health promotion programs can prove financially beneficial Workplace Health Promotion Programs is a resource that guides students and professionals alike in the discovery, development, and execution of successful employee health initiatives.

Health Behavior, Education, & Promotion

Abstract: This book discusses the need for employee health maintenance programs in the workplace and how such a program might be managed. Topics include: health promotion as preventive maintenance; deesigning the health promotion program; and putting health promotion into practice. The costs of health care under current conditions and the costs of health care when a health promotion program exists in the workplace are compared.

Health Promotion in the Workplace is written from a scholarly perspective that reflects the full knowledge of science in the field yet recognizes the constraints of practical application. This comprehensive text covers the importance of health promotion programs; the process of designing, managing and evaluating programs; the positive effects such programs can have on employees and the workplace; the physical and emotional services these programs can offer; and major issues, such as factors affecting older workers and retirees and the emerging global perspective, impacting the health promotion field. Ideal as a text for students in undergraduate and graduate level health promotion programs or as a reference for managers and consultants in the health promotion and/or human resource fields.