Health Risk Appraisal

Health risk appraisal - cost, implementation, participation incentives and more.

Health Risk Appraisal: Cost

Before getting started with your employee wellness program, you decided a budget, right? If not, be certain to do this before you go any further. Cost generally depends on the vendor, type, and reporting structure chosen for your group. Health risk appraisal pricing generally falls within the $5-$15 per participant price range.

Note: Some wellness companies providing wellness proposals will include pricing for other services like health screenings, health coaching, and consulting which is a better option and value for your money. If you can, find a vendor that offers all services combined which alleviates some frustration for you and committee members.

Health Risk Appraisal: Time and Frequency

Find a time that will work best for your workers. This will increase participation in the health risk appraisal process. You want to pick a time where there is ample opportunities for all to participate. How frequently you will implement the health risk appraisal also affect your budget. It's suggested that you re-assess your population annually to assess change.

Health Risk Appraisal: What Features Are Included?

Examples include report options for group and participant data, options for sending reports to workers (even physicians), what tests will be included (biometric data and blood test data), options for customization, internet-based or hard-copy availability, trending reports, and confidentiality clauses. These are more but these are the basics questions that you must ask when determining a health risk appraisal vendor.

Health Risk Appraisal: Incentives for Participation

It will be a difficult task to maximize staff member participation rates but the incorporation of wellness incentives does help. Depending on your budget and overall strategic plan, think about what types of incentives you can offer workers for their time in helping you out.

Incentives may include cash bonuses, vacation days, and health insurance premium discounts. The days of making available a tee shirt and water bottle for their efforts are history and are not longer effective strategies for motivating change among workers.

Health Risk Appraisal: Type and Mode of Feedback

Health risk appraisal reports vary in the format in which feedback is provided. Options available include mailed printed reports, internet-based reports, and instant computer based reports. Select a reporting structure based on the most appropriate form for your workers. Just be certain that the information is 100 percent confidential and remove any chances of other seeing individual data.

We suggest that you select an Health Risk Appraisal vendor that also provides educational support like health coaching, wellness newsletters, wellness presentations, and behavior change programs in conjunction with the Health Risk Appraisal. This will ensure continuity of information provided to your employee wellness program.

Do not forget, that you may also seek assistance from an employee wellness program consultant for additional advice and suggestions about implementing a health risk appraisal.

Further reading: Health Risk Assessments