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The Real Vitamin and Mineral Book, 4th edition: The Definitive Guide to Designing Your Personal Supplement Program

Wednesday, October 6th, 2010

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ISBN13: 9781583332740
Condition: New
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Product Description
With more than 300,000 copies in print, The Real Vitamin & Mineral Book is a trusted resource for people seeking to make sense of the plethora of information about nutritional supplements. Now in its fourth edition, this book provides up-to-date scientific validation for the use of dietary supplementation in both the treatment and prevention of disease and for overall optimum health-the very facts that are not made available to consumers when they purchase supplements.

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Health Promotion : Worker Assistance Program Demand

Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010

For many staff members, telecommuting and flex-time are highly desired work-life benefits. But a growing number of organizations are reluctant to offer these programs.

Demand for these benefits remains high. One study found that 87 percent of job applicants are familiar with the idea behind telecommuting and flex-time, and the majority express a desire to have at least periodic access to such programs.

Environmental interest groups have pushed the feds for years to develop incentives for corporations to encourage telecommuting. the pressure has risen as gas prices have continued to soar.

Nonetheless, flex-time programs have leveled off in some sectors, and there’s been a decrease in telecommuting.

Today, about half of all organizations where telecommuting is feasible permit employees to work from home on a case-by-case basis. But the percentage of employers offering full-time telecommuting has dropped in recent years. Nowadays, only about 20 percent to 25 percent of employers offer the benefit year-round.

Even some national businesss that are well-known for their telecommuting programs have scaled back. AT&T, for example, recently asked several thousand home-based staff members to come back into the office.

Hewlett-Packard and Intel have done the same thing. and the federal government lately noted a 7.3% drop in telecommuting workers. Why the cutbacks?

Worker Assistance Program – Pros and cons

Offering workers telecommuting or flex-time could be a good recruiting and morale-improveing tool, as well as a way to retain workers who need to relocate, would otherwise have a need to quit or take leave or commute long distances to work.

But the programs aren’t without their drawbacks. Some of the primary reasons corporations give for scaling back or eliminating them –

• Company culture – It’s easier to build a sense of organizational stability and a personal connection between employees, coworkers and supervisors when people interact face-to-face on a daily basis.

• Security – One of the hidden costs of authorizing staff members to telecommute (or else come in early or stay late) is keeping sensistive information safe. Some the cutbacks are being driven by companies’ IT departments.

Namely, managers have raised concerns about stolen laptops, identity theft or other crimes driven by hackers gaining access to information via workers’ home Internet connections.

• Productivity – A lot of supervisors find it easier to ensure high productivity when everyone is working under one roof at the same time. There’s also a widespread view that most workers get things done faster and more accurately when they’re not distracted by things at home.

The bottom line on the bottom line

Work-life programs like flex-time and telecommuting remain a useful benefit to offer workers, and a lot of businesses still provide these benefits for economic reasons.

But once the potential hidden costs are weighed, it’s often better for the bottom line to limit the scope of these programs.

Organizations that are thinking about beginning a telecommuting program should look closely at job descriptions and telecommuting candidates. Some positions are poorly suited for remote work, and some employees are more up to the challenge than others.

But unless the organization creates objective criteria for authorizing or denying flex/telecommuting requests, such programs can actually damage morale.

The last thing any business wants is to open supervisors(and the company) up to accustations of favoritism or discrimination because of seemingly random decisions on which employees in their department can and can’t flex their schedules or work from home.

Health Promotion : Health Promotion Program Risks.

Sunday, September 19th, 2010

If your business has this common – and increasingly popular – fringe benefit you could be at legal risk without even knowing it.

Some companies have an on-site staff member fitness room as part of a formal health promotion program. Others simply do it as a way for folks to get their juices flowing before work or blow off steam afterwards.

No matter the reason, companies with fitness rooms need to be aware that the benefit isn’t risk-free.

Over the last few years, a few privately owned gyms have been sued – and agreed to costly settlements – after exercisers suffered sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) and died before help arrived. In each case, the facility either did not have lifesaving equipment on the premises or didn’t have personnel properly trained to use it.

Some legal specialists have expressed concern that employers could also be at risk when the unthinkable happened on company premises while an employee worked out.

SCA is of particular concern. Reason – Even seemingly healthful, active adults are at risk of sudden cardiac arrest. It can’t be prevented. There’s no vaccine.

And few victims survive by the time an ambulance arrives. But there’s a way to save the employee’s life and potentially save your firm from a lawsuit.

Learning about SCA

Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is a frequently misunderstood killer. It’s not the same thing as a heart attack. SCA can affect anyone, anywhere, anytime. It occurs more than 600 times every day in the United States, killing at least 250,000 individuals each year.

The only hope – using a device called an automated external defibrillator (AED) within 10 minutes.

The good news is any person at your corporation can be rapidly trained to use an AED – you don’t need any medical knowledge to use it. the training can be obtained for free through a local Red Cross or civic group. the devices themselves cost under $2,000.

Compare that to the financial risk of being sued for not having an AED near a workplace fitness room, and it’s a no-brainer that any corporation with onsite workout equipment should at least investigate an AED purchase and training.

Workers, supervisors and senior level managers alike will probably need education about SCA and AED use. A excellent teaching resource is available here.

Key talking points – Without an AED, 90 percent of victims die. But if you’ve access to one, there’s a good chance to save an employee’s life. And it’s easy to teach supervisors and workers how to use the device if it’s ever needed.

The vast majority of facilities with AEDs never need to use them – and that includes medical facilities. But it only takes one tragic event, and subsequent lawsuit, to cause pain for both the company and an employee’s family.

Do not forget – Prevention and education are always your company’s best tools for avoiding liability. In this case, where human life is involved, the option seems rather obvious.

Health Promotion : Health Promotion Program Obstacles.

Thursday, September 16th, 2010

Almost two-thirds of organizations with health promotion programs offer staff members incentives – financial or otherwise – to participate.

But only one firm in five has seen major betterment in employees’ health status (and lower costs) within two years of launching the incentive. Here are three keys to getting good results – and a red flag for failure.

Cancer screenings pay off big

Most health promotion programs feature health-risk assessments for things like high cholesterol and diabetes. But many overlook the need for early detection of cancer, which can affect any staff member, regardless of his or her age or general health.

In many cases, you can line up certain screenings, such as skin cancer detection (the most common type of cancer and, in its early stages, the most easily treated) for free or at a nominal cost.

These resources are often available through community agencies or the American Cancer Society. More involved and expensive screenings – such as mammograms – are well worth the cost.

A single case of cancer identified early generally saves thousands of dollars in medical claims and disability costs – not to mention trauma for the worker.

Smart staff member health promotion incentives

HIPAA has tricky non-discrimination rules for offering employees a break on premiums or copays. You needn’t worry about health insurance portability and accountability act (HIPAA) if you –

1. Structure the program as a cost-break for staff members who embrace wellness. on the flip side, imposing surcharges for uncooperative staff members can force you to jump through health insurance portability and accountability act (HIPAA) hoops.

2. Make the incentive available to all workers. for instance, when you offer a discount to non-smokers, an employee who recently quit use of tobacco must also be eligible.

3. Allow staff members who fail to earn the incentive to have another shot at it next plan year.

Bottom line – Make the financial incentive a reward, not a punishment. Do the incentives work? When they’re done right, yes.

Firms offering monetary rewards for wellness ordinarily save about $20 to $50 a month, as reported by some estimates.

Making health promotion programs simple

Many firms require workers to work with an individual “health Coach” in order to earn premium discounts or other incentives. Usually, the staff member sets up appointments and reports to the health coach on a regular basis, either by phone or in person.

The good news – the early results are often encouraging.

The bad news – Once employees realize there’s ongoing effort involved, many lose interest. But many firms have found a simple alternative. Rather than having participants contact the wellness Coach, the wellness coach calls them.

In many cases, this minor program tweak keep folks on the right track and cuts dropout rates.

Health Promotion begins upstairs

No matter how much money your company spends on wellness, the odds of success depend largely on the example set by top management.

Example – If your CEO is a smoker, chances are few staff members will purchase into a smoking cessation program.

Similarly, it’s hard to sell workers on subsidized gym memberships when your organization culture is sedentary. for wellness to work, the top brass must practice what the firm preaches.

Health Promotion : Health Promotion Program Keys to Success.

Wednesday, September 8th, 2010

Health promotion programs come in all shapes and sizes. But regardless of plan design there are five common components that set the successful programs apart from the rest.

At their core, health promotion programs require constant monitoring and periodic adjustments. the programs that get mediocre results are the ones that are left to run on autopilot. That’s why it’s critical to –

1. Know thine enemy You’ve to know what’s driving your largest claim costs on your healthcare plan – both among employees and their dependents.

2. Create realistic expectations. With wellness, what an business gets will nearly always depend on how much it spends, how well it plans and how well it sustains communications with participants and the vendor.

3. Maintain strong communications. the health promotion programs that achieve the greatest success are those which are communicated aggressively from the get go and are sustained. Repetition is your friend when doing staff member education.

4. Integrate wellness with other benefits. Real-life experience has shown that you ought to consider your employee assistance programs (EAPs) an extension of the health promotion program. You should also consider issues like absenteeism, disability and worker’s compensation to be pieces of the wellness puzzle.

5. Practice what you preach. the key to ensuring staff member buy-in is for management to lead the program by setting a positive example. If upper managers are unwilling to participate and address their own health issues, don’t expect many staff members to take the program seriously.

Health Promotion : Health Promotion Program Budgets.

Wednesday, September 1st, 2010

Trying to do more with less money? Here are three proven ways to align the dollars and cents of a health promotion program in your budget.

Common thread – the way you prepare – and control – your budget for a health promotion program is vital to its success.

1. Top-down health promotion budget

Depending on the size of your organization and health promotion program, you could have full budget responsibility or may need to work with a C-level who’s budgeting expertise.

Regardless of the arrangement, you’re likely to face one of two distinct challenges – a top-down budget or a zero-based budget.

A top-down budget is when you’re given a finite dollar amount and told to run the health promotion program within the limit. When that’s the case, here are three critical questions to ask –

• Does this limit include money set aside for staff member incentives and future initiatives?

• Should we keep long-tenured programs that keep going up in price, and

• Does Benefits/HR have to deliver all education about the program, or is there additional funding to hire staff?

2. Zero-based health promotion budgeting

In zero-based funding, you submit to executive management an itemized list of the programs/features you want and the cost of each. Best practices –

• Rank programs by priority (health-risk assessments should be at or near the top)

• Indicate which expenses are fixed and which are variable, and

• List ways to incorporate existing resources (like an employee assistance program (EAP) program) for a better return on investment.

3. Estimating health promotion ROI

On average, health promotion programs generally take at least 18 months to break even. After three years, you should see savings.

If not, it’s time to take a fresh look at the program design.

Health Promotion : What Will a Health Promotion Program Cost?

Friday, August 27th, 2010

The Facts Speak for Themselves – Health Promotion Assists Reduce Costs

• A 2003 analysis of one big United States company found that simply assisting staff members control their blood pressure alone can save $547 per individuals per year.

• Johnson and Johnson claims to have saved $38 million in health-care costs for its workers between 1995 and 1999 by promoting healthful lifestyles.

Health expenses lowered $224 per worker per year (averaged over four years), and this rate improved over time. the business found most benefits in the third and fourth years after program initiation.

• A 2004 University of Michigan study of 23,500 General Motors employees showed that nonexercising employees claimed at least $100 more per year in health-care costs than exercisers.

The research study also reported that obese, sedentary staff members who began exercising at least twice a week reduced their costs by an typical of $500 a year.

• The Washoe County School District in Nevada estimated that, in a single year, it spent $300,000 on direct costs associated with obesity and $1 million for gastric-bypass surgeries. It instituted a weight-loss program that compensated employees $10 per pound lost, up to 25 pounds.

Program participants missed three fewer workdays per year, producing a cost savings of $15.60 per program dollar spent.

Staff Time

Building a successful Health Promotion Program requires staff time as well as money. Some bigger organizations may spend 20 hours per week for three to six months preparing all the steps prior to launching a Health Promotion Program.

Company Costs

Monetary costs can fluctuate commonly, depending on whether the company pays all costs, the staff members pay all costs, or the costs are shared.

A 1992 study indicated that 28% of companies spent $5 or less per employee, and 19% spent between $6-10 per employee.

The Health Promotion Council of America estimates the cost per staff member to be between $100 and $150 per year for an effective health promotion program that produces a return on investment of $300 to $450. A sample expenditure for various levels of programs include –

Program Type

A minimal (largely paper) program $1 – $7

A moderate program

A medium program with a few activities $16 – $35

A fairly extensive program $36 – $75

A very robust, effective program $76 – $112

Health Promotion : Measuring Health Promotion Program Results.

Friday, August 13th, 2010

Information to evaluate your program comes from routinely accumulated screening and follow-up data of your program that look at process and outcomes of your program.

The Staff Member Health Program has available a computerized case-management system which includes queries that allow easy assessment of process and outcome results at any point in time.

Process Analysis

Process analysis looks at the program’s impact as seen at various points in time.

Information that is accumulated from the various forms that wellness staff members fill out should supply you with the following –

• How many employees were screened?

• How many workers who were referred to a doctor went?

• How many workers who expressed interest in health improvement programs went?

• How many staff members who were referred to health betterment programs went?

• How many workers who went to health betterment programs completed them?

• How many staff members are in follow-up caseload?

You can use this kind of process investigation to evaluate and learn about the health of your program.

Health Promotion Program Outcome Investigation

A central objective of the health promotion program is to improve the health of employees. Information on how to judge how well your program is meeting this objective is called “outcome analysis” because you’re reviewing the end results or outcome of your program.

In health promotion programs, goals are measured by specific (outcomes) behavior changes and reductions in health risk levels. Have staff members lowered their blood pressure? Have they lost weight? Are they exercising more? is alcohol consumption at a safe level?

For instance these are the kinds of questions you can ask to find out if you are reaching your objectives –

• For workers with high blood pressure (BP) (140 / 90 or higher or on medication) at screening, what percentage have it under control (below 140 / 90) a year later?

• What is the change in typical blood pressure (BP) levels among all employees with high blood pressure (BP) 1 year after screening? Two years later?

• For workers with high blood cholesterol levels (above 240) at screening, what percentage has reduced their cholesterol to borderline-high levels (200-239)?

• For employees with borderline-high blood cholesterol levels, what percentages have reduced their cholesterol to the desirable range (below 200)?

• What is the change in average cholesterol levels among all workers with high and borderline-high blood cholesterol levels 1 year after screening? Two years later?

• For staff members who were overweight at screening, what percentage have lost 20 pounds or more a year later? Ten pounds or more? What is the average weight loss?

• For employees who were smokers at screening, what percentages have quit use of tobacco? for at least a year?

• For employees whose level of alcohol consumption put them at-risk at screening, what percentage have quit drinking alcohol? Are eating alcohol at levels considered safe by CDC guidelines? Have decreased their drinking, but are still at-risk?

• For staff members, what percentages are exercising at least three times a week for at least 20 minutes?

• If fitness levels were measured, what percentages have improved fitness?

Be sure to set a regular time like every 6 months to look at which staff members your program is reaching and how effective it is at assisting them reduce their health risks. Use this information to make new decisions about how to direct your program efforts. Then make the change you need to improve your program.

Some might feel that investigation is a frill; it is not. Examination is a necessary part of a health promotion program. You’ll need to know what is working and what is not.

Decision-makers who fund the program need to be updated on the performance of the program. Investigation will provide you with necessary data to maintain and expand the program and convince management to continue to support the program.

Health Promotion : Health Promotion Program Follow-Up.

Thursday, August 12th, 2010

The keys to a successful health promotion program are persistent one-on-one outreach and follow-up counseling to encourage health improvement, adherence to treatment regimens, changes in lifestyle behaviors, and to prevent relapse.

Periodic outreach and follow-up procedures provide workers with a safety net which keeps them involved in the program and prevents treatment dropout and relapse.

Counselors should follow up on workers at least every 6 months throughout the career of the worker at the worksite. the goals of follow-up are to –

• Involve staff members who have health risks in treatment and risk reduction programs.

• Involve all employees in health betterment programs and worksite-wide wellness activities.

• Support staff members in carrying out the risk reduction or health betterment activities they have chosen.

• Make certain to help staff members comply with their treatment regimens.

• Prevent relapse.

• Prevent staff members from dropping out.

• Make sure to help employees maintain behavior changes.

Follow-up can be conducted in person, by phone, mail, and via computer when the technology is available. Most preferable is an in-person contact.

Computer programs which could do case load management are available to help counselors track information and perform follow-up.

Priorities for Follow-Up

People with multiple health risks should be at the top of the list. People in key positions such as union leaders or department heads with health risks should also be contacted early so that they learn what the program is about and can share the information with others.

Individuals who need a medical analysis for high blood pressure (BP) or cholesterol should also be targeted early. A lot of employees will have seen their doctors then of the screening, but some will need more encouragement to do so. Those with no health risks can be followed up each year.

A follow-up counseling session can take 20 to 45 minutes. At minimum, follow-up must include those who were told to seek medical evaluation for high blood pressure readings, high cholesterol readings, or borderline high blood cholesterol readings with 2 or more other risk factors.

It could include those who were identified as at-risk for one or more of the other major risk factors – at-risk levels of alcohol consumption, being overweight, and having low HDL.

Follow-Up With Doctors

A letter (see forms) ought to be sent to the doctor or clinic of each staff member who has high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or is under a doctor’s care.

The letter should explain the program and should include the worker’s relevant, current health measurements.

Along with the letter, send a self-addressed return envelope. Follow-up with the physician should be repeated every 6 months until it’s determined that the worker is under satisfactory control.

Contacting the physician is important for three reasons –

• The physicians receive employees’ health measurements taken at the worksite.

• You receive the blood pressure and cholesterol readings the doctor takes and information on the treatment the doctor prescribes.

Many times the staff member does not have this information or does not remember it. the information can be used when counseling the staff member.

• Follow-up encourages physicians to pay closer attention to heart illness risk factors among their patients.

Health Promotion : Health Promotion Program – Options Matter.

Tuesday, August 10th, 2010

The menu approach offers workers a range of choices to support lifestyle changes. It authorizes people to pick the kind of help that suits their schedules and preferences.

The four basic types of programs include –

• Courses

• Minigroups

• Guided self help

• Individual counseling

Classes

Courses (8 or more) can be an effective means of providing education and social support for behavior change. the length of a class can vary depending on topic requirements. It is not sufficient to offer only courses at a worksite.

Many staff members are under time constraints with after work commitments and although they might be interested they simply can’t participate because of their schedules.

Staff Members may be very eager to start a program but because of lack of participants to meet class quotas, the program is canceled.

Many national organizations like the American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, Weight Watchers, etc. offer classes; you should have little trouble in identifying a provider for class type programs.

You may want to contact your local hospital, health department, or YMCA for possible options. for choosing a provider to provide a program you may want to review the section on program structure.

Minigroups

When there is not enough interest to create a class, those who are interested in a given health topic can be formed into a minigroup (2 to 7).

The minigroup can cover the same content as a class but do so in a less formal manner. Presentation of information and discussion is the major format of the minigroup.

Guided Self-Help

Most employees do not want formal help in making health changes; they prefer to do it on their own. In guided self-help, the wellness counselors provide support, materials, and encouragement.

Meeting times may be arranged and contact may be made either in individuals, by phone, or computer. Materials may be made available at the worksite, or mailed to the individual. Some worksites now make information available via intranets or the Internet.

Individual Counseling

One of the most successful ways to help individuals change and improve their health status is counseling (or coaching) on a one-on-one basis.

In published studies, health promotion programs which incorporated individual counseling as part of the program process achieved significantly higher participation rates and achieved greater risk reduction/risk elimination than standard group programs. Studies have demonstrated that individual counseling is both cost effective and cost beneficial.

A wellness counselor must be trained in screening techniques, for in certain situations, they could be required to both screen person and counsel them. They should know how to do the following –

• Review staff member health risks

• Contact staff members who have health risks.

• Counsel staff members on a one-on-one basis, helping them set goals, solve problems, and get professional help when they need it.

• Make certain to help employees follow their treatment recommendations and make lifestyle and health behavior changes.

• Recruit employees into health betterment programs, like weight loss and smoking cessation.

• Be sure to work with workers on a one-on-one basis using guided self-help.

• Conduct classes and minigroups if necessary.

• Make sure to work with wellness committee members to plan and conduct worksite-wide wellness activities.

Health Promotion counselors are health generalists; they must’ve basic knowledge about a wide range of health topics and health risks.

Counselors must be able to talk with staff members about their medical problems and the treatments prescribed by their physicians.

They should’ve a good overview of nutrition, exercise physiology, pathophysiology of disease, pharmacology, psychology, and behavior modification skills.

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