Implementation and evaluation of Employee Health and Wellness Program using RE-AIM framework
International Journal of Workplace Health Management
ISSN: 1753-8351
Article publication date: 8 December 2021
Issue publication date: 18 January 2022
Abstract
Purpose
The study describes the design, implementation and evaluation of an employer-sponsored health screening program – Employee Health and Wellness Program (EHWP) – in an academic healthcare system in Pakistan.
Design/methodology/approach
One year after implementation, RE-AIM (reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation and maintenance) framework was used to evaluate and report participant- and organizational-level indicators of success.
Findings
Of the 5,286 invited employees, 4,523 (86%) completed blood work and 1809 (34%) completed health risk assessment (reach). Of the 915 (51%) who required referrals, 3% were referred for new diagnoses of diabetes, hepatitis C or severe anemia; 63% for elevated 10-year risk of cardiometabolic diseases (cardiovascular disease and diabetes); and 25% for counseling for depression, obesity or smoking cessation (effectiveness). Employees' barriers to enrollment were explored (adoption). While institutional costs were considered nominal (USD 20/employee), organizational barriers were identified (implementation). Finally, 97% of users reported interest in enrollment if EHWP was offered again (maintenance).
Originality/value
In a country with minimal focus on adult preventive care, the study reports the impact of an employer-offered wellness program that identified new risk factors and offered a referral for ongoing care. Employees reported a positive experience and were willing to re-enroll. Using the RE-AIM framework, the study has defined indicators in the real-world setting that can be used effectively by other institutions to start such a program.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge the support of the following: Ms. Carol Ariano, VP-Human Resources; Ms. Samrin Suleman, Manager, Human Resources; Mr. Kashif Siddiqui and Mr. Uzair Danish, Dept. of Software Development and Maintenance; and Employee Health team at Aga Khan University.
Disclosure Statement: The authors hereby certify that they have no conflicts of interest to report.
Ethical Considerations: The study was approved by the University Ethics Review Committee (ID# 2019-1281-3520). Written informed consent was obtained from all participants whose data were utilized for research purposes as per ERC guidelines.
Citation
Khan, U.I., Qureshi, A., Lal, K., Ali, S., Barkatali, A. and Nayani, S. (2022), "Implementation and evaluation of Employee Health and Wellness Program using RE-AIM framework", International Journal of Workplace Health Management, Vol. 15 No. 1, pp. 87-98. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJWHM-04-2021-0081
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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