Employee wellness programs can lower diabetes risk
A study of at-risk individuals enrolled in an employer-sponsored wellness program not only cut their risk of diabetes, but reduced body weight, as well.
The last several years have seen various conclusions about the effectiveness of wellness programs. Some say they’re only popular with those who are health-conscious to begin with, and others say the impact of programs goes beyond measurable ROI. But you can add one to the pro-wellness program column: Participants in a study of at-risk employees and spouses or partners enrolled in an employer-sponsored wellness program who also participated in a digital intervention program cut their risk of diabetes, as well as reducing body weight.
The research comes from Quest Diagnostics and concludes that “[e]mployer wellness programs that combine laboratory and biometric screening with digital behavioral counseling can significantly reduce employees’ risk of developing chronic conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.”
Related: How to design an engaging employee wellness program
The study utilized three years’ worth of de-identified laboratory and biometric test results for the participants and revealed that not only did 32 percent of participants whose initial tests results showed evidence of prediabetes or diabetes achieve normal blood levels after the program, but 29 percent of participants also lost five percent or more of body weight.
Other improvements, according to Quest, included a significant reduction in triglycerides, which boost the risk of heart disease, as well as a reduction in the 10-year risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
“Many employers are eager to implement employee wellness programs that drive better health and cost outcomes, but are unsure of how best to achieve these goals,” lead researcher Charles E. Birse, Ph.D., scientific director, Quest Diagnostics, says in a statement. Birse adds, “This study demonstrates a viable two-step solution—identifying people at higher risk using objective lab and biometric measures and then supporting their access to programs to modify behaviors and thereby reduce those risks.”
Currently approximately 153 million employees get health insurance provided by employers.
The study group of 107 at-risk individuals were in a 16-week digital diabetes prevention program focused on education and behavior modification. The program was offered by Omada Health, a digital behavioral medicine company focused on chronic disease prevention, through a collaboration with Quest Diagnostics.
The report cites a 2017 analysis by Willis Towers Watson that finds diabetes and heart disease, as well as other chronic conditions, account for a substantial part of the continuing escalation of in employee health benefit costs. Those costs rose 24 percent between 2001 and 2015, it adds, predicting that in 2018 they’re expected to rise up to another 6.5 percent.
“This study demonstrates that a population management strategy that combines screening with targeted intervention can meaningfully improve health outcomes and, ultimately, lower costs for employers and their employees,” Jay Wohlgemuth, M.D., senior vice president and chief medical officer, Quest Diagnostics, says in a statement.