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Employees Say “Yes” to
Employer-Sponsored Health & Wellness Programs, LifeCare®
Poll Finds
WESTPORT, CT, September 18, 2007 –
There's good news for employers hoping to reduce healthcare
costs and other negative organizational impacts of poor
employee health: an overwhelming majority of workers
(83%) say they would definitely take advantage of employer-sponsored
health and wellness programs, according to a new poll
by LifeCare®, Inc., provider of comprehensive
specialty care services and a longtime leader in the
work/life industry.
Following are the full results of the
poll, conducted on LifeCare's private web site during
the month of August among employees and members of its
1,500 client organizations:
If your employer offered you
programs to improve your health (e.g., weight loss,
smoking cessation, diabetes control, etc.), would you
take advantage of them?
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Yes, definitely — 83%
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Maybe — 16%
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Not likely — 1%
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Definitely not — 0% |
“For the nation's employers, this really
is good news,” said LifeCare CEO, Peter G. Burki. “The
total average cost of employee healthcare and absenteeism
now exceeds 20% of payroll, so most employers simply
have no choice. They must
take action and adopt health improvement programs of
some kind. And, based on the results of our poll, employees
are more than willing to take part in these programs.”
Of course, getting employees to participate
in health and wellness programs is only half the battle.
Getting them to stick with these programs and make long-term
lifestyle changes is equally critical—and this
is the primary goal of LifeCare's health and wellness
programs such as the recently launched SelfCareKitsSM,
a unique series of kits filled with an array of innovative
products and tools designed specifically to foster independent
self-care and long-term health improvements.
According to tests conducted by consumer
research firm Communication Science, Inc., LifeCare's
SelfCareKits have a significantly higher rate of success
than the standard programs and the educational tools
offered by many employers. LifeCare's SelfCareKit for
Asthma Control, for example, was evaluated against asthma
literature from the American Lung Association. After
six months, only 44% of participants receiving the American
Lung Association's literature were still in compliance
with medication guidelines and following practices to
keep themselves healthy. In comparison, six months after
receiving the SelfCareKit for Asthma Control, 95% of
participants were still in medical compliance and following
healthy practices. What's more, 16% of those using the
American Lung Association literature were readmitted
to a hospital due to asthma within the study period,
while nobody using the SelfCareKit was readmitted.
“Offering employees resources to improve
their health can pay huge organizational dividends if
you can get them to make lasting, sustainable changes
to their lifestyles,” Burki said.
Each month, LifeCare posts a poll on
its private members' web site asking individuals to
share their thoughts and opinions on the latest issues
and work/life trends. Past polls have addressed topics
such as stress, family caregiving challenges, aging,
flexible work arrangements, and barriers to on-the-job
productivity.
Notes to Editors
Peter G. Burki is available for interview.
About LifeCare®,
Inc.
LifeCare offers cost-saving benefits that help our clients
reduce their most pervasive absenteeism and productivity
drains, including child and elder care, caregiving support,
health and wellness issues, and more. For 23 years,
LifeCare has led the work/life industry in the creation
of high-quality, results-oriented programs designed
to improve our clients' bottom line. LifeCare serves
1,500 client companies with 4.5 million individuals
within corporations, health plans, government agencies
and unions. For more information, visit www.lifecare.com.
Media contact: Michael Civiello
LifeCare, Inc.
pr1@lifecare.com
203-291-4170
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