What does it take to create targeted well-being programs?

Employers can design condition management programs that specifically target certain employees, so long as they don't offer them any type of reward along with it. (Photo: Shutterstock)

Standardized well being programs are not enough. Applying stratification and personalization techniques will ensure long-term success – for your business and your employees.

Generic corporate well being programs just don't cut it anymore. They're oversimplified and often don't target those who could benefit from them the most. But we've already discussed that fact. So now that we've established that there is a problem, it's time to take the next step and actually do something about it.

Related: Why are employers settling on segmentation to improve health?

While a lot of attention is given to healthy employees who are quick to jump on new health benefits, and to employees already managing chronic conditions, there isn't enough of a focus on employees who sit in the middle.

The employees who sit on the spectrum between "healthy" and "sick" are not yet suffering from chronic conditions, but they could likely reach that point unless someone intervenes. Many of the employees in this group exhibit Metabolic Syndrome (MetS), a combination of risk factors – for example, obesity, elevated blood pressure and high triglycerides – that could all lead to more serious, chronic conditions (e.g., diabetes, heart disease) if they go untreated.

By targeting those employees who are "in the middle," companies can help individuals improve their own health while also ensuring that the organization itself reduces health care costs and sustains employee loyalty.

Focusing on personalization

The concept of targeted condition management solutions begs an important question: is it even legal? Can organizations identify employees with specific conditions, like obesity or high blood pressure, and then offer only those employees a solution to address their specific conditions?

According to a report from Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., "It is permissible to design a wellness program that favors those with health conditions (benign discrimination). For example, an employer may structure a wellness program that tests cholesterol levels and provides free dietary counseling to individuals with total cholesterol about a specified value such as 200, but does not provide any other type of reward (i.e., there is no reward for having total cholesterol below the target number)."

Employers can design condition management programs that specifically target certain employees, so long as they don't offer them any type of reward along with it. With reward incentives off the table, this means that employers will have to find other ways to motivate and engage employees with their condition management program.

One way to do this is through personalization, which can drive employees to better health based on their actual needs and intrinsic motivations, rather than some extrinsic reward, which will inevitably expire or run dry.

Let's say an organization has an employee who is pre-diabetic, exhibiting higher than normal blood sugar levels. A generic wellness program might try to put the employee on a new diet and exercise regime, with the thinking that as long as the employee makes the effort, it will be enough.

However, what the program doesn't account for is that the employee recently had surgery, is limited in what she can do physically, and is unable to participate in even a basic exercise program. Additionally, the program does not even have an aspect for sleep health – something that must be considered, especially with the employee having poor sleep habits following her recent surgery.

Instead, she needs a tailored program that ensures any physical activity catered to her circumstance. Over time, as the employee regains strength and full movement, the exercise program can gradually intensify.

Ultimately, your employees are unique and have different needs – one solution will not work for everyone.

Understanding stratification and how to use it properly

Stratification must be a key consideration when designing a wellbeing program. After all, programs can't be personalized to deliver impactful results until at-risk employees are identified and their unique needs are understood.

There are several ways to identify at-risk employees, including by reviewing claims data or through biometric screenings, which are often offered at health fairs or through employees' own physician visits. New approaches to biometric screening are emerging that are designed to be minimally invasive, cutting costs and time spent for the employee being screened. For example, not all screenings need to be completed by drawing blood. Emerging assessment tools, such as the Yavari Indicator (YI) assessment tool, can calculate an individual's likelihood of having type 2 diabetes or MetS using only their age, gender, height, weight, hip and waist measurements.

Historically, it was thought that simply educating people on their situation or their risks would be enough, but time has proven that education and awareness are not enough. Most individuals don't in fact change, which is why the right solution must be applied to the right risk strata.

Once organizations "stratify" their employee population and identify those considered at-risk, they can adjust their well-being initiatives to deliver appropriate interventions and tailored programs to the employees who need them most.

Combining everything together

Opting for ease of implementation over targeted solutions is the faster choice. Plus, it feels good to be able to say, "We're offering this great thing to everyone." But what is your real objective? Do you want to offer a one-and-done benefit with minimal organizational and health impact or offer a benefit that works? Remember: technological advances have made implementing targeted solutions easier and less costly than ever before.

Personalized plans that can continually evolve and adjust to individuals' needs, outcomes and behaviors are key. Combining technology, data insights, and human expertise can help individuals make smarter, personalized, healthy choices and over time, teach users to thrive on their own. The long-term goal isn't for people to need a wellness plan forever, but rather help educate them to apply those wellbeing lessons and stand on their own.

Once the risk strata have been identified, personalized programs must be created and applied. Not everyone requires the same level of intervention, but it is critical to identify what each employee requires and make sure their unique needs can be met to improve their health holistically.

Successful wellbeing programs identify and address the underlying conditions that may hinder individuals from leading healthier lives. Remember our example of an employee recovering from surgery? She might love working out but cannot commit to a standardized program because of physical limitations. That underlying condition, even if it is just temporary, is a hindrance to her being able to take the necessary steps to improve her health and reverse pre-diabetic conditions.

Focusing on individual needs will enable organizations to develop meaningful and applicable programs for each participating employee. Furthermore, a targeted condition management approach, that uses non-invasive assessment options, will lower costs for employers and give employees an easier way to measure progress and reverse prevalent chronic conditions. Once the investment is aligned with the identified risk strata, and personalized options are delivered, opt out rates can be curbed. This allows individual employees to achieve real outcomes and for businesses to achieve real ROI.