Setting Worksite Wellness Program Priorities

The majority of organizations do not have the Worksite Wellness Program resources to address all of their health and wellness needs at once. Priorities must be set to determine the most pressing health and wellness needs. Use the steps below to prioritize company Wellness needs.

Assess the health and wellness needs of the population.

Collect information about the health and wellness needs in the community. How?

• Community- or target group-specific surveys

Establish health and wellness needs and at-risk populations.

Use the information to establish leading health and wellness needs and also high risk populations. For example:
• Obesity and overweight
• Injury prevention
• Self care

Reduce the list.

Not every health need can (or should) be addressed. Use the following questions to determine which health and wellness needs should be addressed first.
• How does the health need impact operational readiness? How big is the impact?
• What are the Upper Management priorities? How does the health need fit into those priorities?
• What are the behavioral factors affecting the health need? What is the proof that a behavior change will make a difference? Has the behavior been successfully changed by other Corporate Wellness Programs?
• What other physical, social, or environmental factors influence the health need or the target population?
• Is the health need a greater problem at the local level than in the U.S. population as a whole?
• Does the company have the subject matter expertise and resources to address the health need?

Develop Worksite Wellness Program recommendations.

Only a handful of specific health and wellness needs should be focused on in a given year. Keep the following in mind as recommendations are developed as to which specific health and wellness needs will be addressed:
• Avoid duplication of other ongoing Corporate Wellness Programs whenever possible. Establish Corporate Wellness Programs already addressing the health need and/or the target population.
• Establish and assess available resources. Build on existing services whenever possible.

Use the recommendations to offer tailored, targeted, integrated initiatives to address the prioritized list of health and wellness needs. Prioritizing health and wellness needs will keep Corporate Wellness Programs focused, maximize efficient use of resources, and align Wellness efforts with Upper Management goals and priorities.

References
• US Department of Health and Human Services, Planned Approach to Community Health, http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/publications/PATCH/index.htm.
• Implementing a Comprehensive Community Wellness and Well Being Program, presentation by CHPPM-EUR at the 2006 Force Health Protection Conference