Healthier People, Healthier Organizations
Employers Are Uniquely Positioned To Help Prevent Chronic Diseases
by Dr. Barney Spivack, LifeCare Medical Director

Employers today have very strong motivation for promoting healthy lifestyle choices among their workers: the seven most common chronic diseases are costing their organizations over $1 trillion annually, according to a 2007 study from the Milken Institute, an economic think tank. Adding to the urgency of this situation is the medical community's strong belief that a large part of this cost is avoidable.

Cancer, diabetes, hypertension, stroke, heart disease, pulmonary conditions and mental illness are the seven conditions taking such a tremendous toll on individuals and employers alike. Most of these conditions are worsened by obesity, an often avoidable condition—and one that is extremely costly for employers, accounting for approximately 14% of lifestyle-related health costs for men and 25% for women.

Aside from the tremendous savings that they could reap, employers should consider instituting health and wellness programs because they are uniquely positioned to help workers help themselves. And now they have some expert assistance from Workplace Solutions, an employer based program sponsored by the American Cancer Society. Workplace Solutions uses an engaging marketing-oriented approach to help employers implement best practices in the prevention of cancer (the leading cause of death among work-age adults) and other chronic diseases. The program focuses on five areas: health insurance benefits, policies, workplace programs, health-promoting communication, and tracking of employee health behaviors to measure progress.

In a pilot study supported by the Centers for Disease Control, Workplace Solutions was tested among a group of large employers in the northwest and the program was associated with a significant increase in the implementation of best practices aimed at preventing cancer and other chronic diseases—from 38% to 61%. The results indicated that practices that can be outsourced, such as health insurance coverage, may be easiest to implement. As the employers in this pilot study were all self-insured, this may be more difficult for small and medium-sized employers that are not self-insured.

Clearly, employers have a vested self-interest in helping their people lead healthier (and less costly) lives. Fortunately, they're not only perfectly positioned to achieve this goal but they now have assistance from a highly trustworthy source. You can review the materials available through the ACS' Workplace Solutions program here. The CDC study can be viewed here.

As always, I want to address the topics that are most important to you in this column and the best way to do that is with your input! So please feel free to email me with questions, success stories or comments. I look forward to hearing from you.

Dr. Barney Spivack's medical career spans more than 25 years, with a focus on the care of older adults, chronic disease, and long-term care. Prior to joining LifeCare, he was the Director of Medical Services at Waveny Care Network in New Canaan, Connecticut. Before that, he was Director of Geriatric Medicine at Norwalk and Stamford Hospitals. Dr. Spivack also is active in the American Medical Directors Association and is President of the Connecticut Geriatrics Society.