Workers With ‘Health Smarts’ May Still Need a Push
Employees believe they are in control when it comes to their health, but they do not take consistent action to stay healthy and need encouragement, according to a study. The Employee Mindset: Views, Behaviors and Solutions, 2010. The study features findings from an online survey of 3,026 employees working at large companies and their dependents. Sponsored by the National Business Group on Health, which represents Fortune 500 companies, and AON Hewitt, a global human resource management firm, the study provides valuable insights by zeroing in on employee attitudes and characteristics including gender, age, education, job title, industry, income, ethnicity and health status.
“The research helps us identify how to help employees better understand their role as health care consumers and what employers can do to facilitate that process,” said Cathy Tripp, a principal in AON Hewitt’s health management consulting practice.
Research Highlights
Respondents ranged in age from 23 to 69; about 25 percent were dependents – primarily spouses of employees. Among the key findings:
- Skepticism about health information sources, confusion about benefits, and questions about costs are obstacles to participation in wellness and health management programs.
- Participation rates are relatively low, but when employees participate in wellness/health management programs, satisfaction with them is generally high.
- Internal motivators such as “wanting to do the right thing” can be just as meaningful as external ones, such as financial incentives.
- Among various outreach methods, targeted and personalized communication is the best way to encourage participation in wellness programs.
- In the future, employees will be more concerned about affordability than access when evaluating healthcare coverage options.
The majority of respondents (65 percent) said they are great/good at obtaining “appropriate preventive screenings,” compared to 47 percent who said they are great/good at “getting exercise at least three times a week.” Biometric screening had the highest participation rate (61 percent), followed by online health management tools (53 percent) and health risk assessment (HRAs) (41 percent) – services frequently provided by external occupational health programs.
The lowest participation rates were health coach (15 percent), claim help (14 percent), stress management, and employee assistance programs (9 percent each). Respondents were most satisfied with biometric screening, onsite clinics, and physical fitness Programs. Forty-eight percent said they would complete an HRA for intrinsic reasons; 29 percent for an incentive; 28 percent if there is a penalty. Wellness programs: 44 percent/32 percent/30 percent. Disease management: 33 percent/17 percent/25 percent.
“You need to look for a combination of the intrinsic and extrinsic motivators that drive behaviors and figure out what is going to work in your workforce,” Ms. Tripp said. “I guess this does give us a glimmer of hope.”
