For a new employee wellness program, two success metrics are key: Did the program improve employee health? And did it help reduce your company’s overall healthcare costs?
If you know from the start how you’ll answer those questions, your program is already on track for success, research from Cigna found. According to their study, choosing how you’ll measure success ahead of a time helps create a sound foundation for a new wellness program.
The company analyzed data from more than 100 sources to determine what sets successful employee wellness programs apart from those that miss the mark. Strategies that also help include:
- Choosing a targeted program that will be meaningful for your employees
- Training middle managers
- Creating a long-term employee engagement plan to ensure your program stays top-of-mind beyond your initial launch.
Before you launch your next employee wellness program, take a look at what successful programs and plans have in common – and make sure your program is set up for ROI before day one.
Identify your loss drivers and invest in specific, targeted employee wellness programs
Cigna’s research found that the most successful programs focus on specific loss drivers, specifically disease management programs to reduce healthcare claim costs.
To find the right targeted solution for your employee population, start by analyzing your company’s top sources of healthcare spending. For example, musculoskeletal conditions are a top source of spending for 90% of large employers, according to Business Group on Health. Cancer and cardiovascular disease are other common sources of high spending.
Once you’ve identified the most critical needs, consider investing in a targeted solution to solve them. You can use the costs you’ve identified to measure the success of your program at a predetermined time after launch, as well.
Develop a success measurement framework in advance
Cigna found that monitoring and evaluation of wellness programs are – perhaps surprisingly – often overlooked.
To help, the report outlines a measurement framework that can be adjusted based on factors like data availability and the specific type of program implemented. Measurement parameters can include:
- Cost
- Financial savings
- Employee feedback
- Participation and engagement rates
- Health outcomes
Before launching your wellness program, decide at what intervals you’ll measure progress and success, both in the short and long term. For a corporate musculoskeletal program, for example, success measurement can focus on projected healthcare savings based on reductions in intent to seek high-cost interventions. Treatments such as surgery and injections are expensive, and treat symptoms but miss the root cause of chronic pain. Over the course of a year, a company can analyze spending on musculoskeletal conditions before and after implementing the new program.
Incorporate mental health in your wellness program
One of the most reliable ways to drive high ROI from a wellness program is to include a mental health aspect, according to Cigna’s research. The study was conducted before the COVID-19 pandemic, and investment in mental health services for employees has increased substantially since the pandemic began.
Wellness programs don’t have to focus on mental health exclusively to reap these benefits, either. Mental health is closely linked to other chronic conditions, especially chronic pain. In fact, depression and chronic pain occur together up to 50% of the time – which is one reason Fern Health focuses closely on addressing the psychological side of pain.
Train middle managers to promote your wellness program
Buy-in from leadership is important to getting a wellness program off the ground. But research shows that involving middle managers was more important in driving program participation.
Middle management support is particularly important – and impactful – for programs involving mental health. Managers at all levels can help decrease stigma by openly discussing what programs are available. Encouraging employees to take mental health days off and watching for signs of employee burnout are a few ways managers can help create a culture of mental health in the workplace, along with sharing information about ongoing programs.
Middle managers are also important in helping make the next step Cigna recommends successful – maintaining engagement after your initial launch.
Maintain engagement after initial launch
After your wellness program’s initial launch, how will your HR team make sure it’s not forgotten among other available employee benefits? Cigna’s research found that maintaining long-term engagement in employee wellness programs is critical to success.
Support from middle managers comes into play here, too. Train managers how to recognize when someone on their team may qualify for a particular program. For example, a line manager at a manufacturing company may know to mention your digital musculoskeletal pain solution to a team member experiencing back pain.
If you have an onsite clinic, make sure the medical professionals there are up-to-date on your latest wellness programs. On-site clinics can be effective referral sources, especially for targeted employee wellness programs.
Well-structured employee wellness programs deliver higher ROI
Employee wellness programs are more likely to deliver a return on investment when they’re well structured from the start. Start by identifying loss areas and solutions that can address them. Then, set structured and measurable goals, and have a plan to engage employees in the long-term – with the support from middle managers. A wellness program is only as good as how it’s planned and measured, but with the right tools, they can deliver impressive results in both cost savings and improved health.
If high musculoskeletal costs are an issue at your company, get in touch with Fern Health. We’d love to share how we deliver 4:1 ROI for our clients.
