Gap assessment as a tool for Company Health and Wellness Program improvement

A gap analysis is an assessment tool that enables a business to compare its current capabilities and performance with industry benchmarks and expectations for performance. A gap analysis is used to establish areas that have room for improvement.

Gap analysis can also be used for your Company Health and Wellness Program to determine where the program stands now and how the Company Health and Wellness Program can better follow evidence-based recommendations.

To begin a gap analysis, ask these simple questions about your Employee Wellness Program:
• What is the current state of the Employee Wellness Program?
• How does the Company Health and Wellness Program measure up to evidence-based practices? (i.e., the desired state)

The gap is the difference between the current and desired states.

After the gap has been identified, the next step is to determine the action steps that are needed to close the gap. These actions answer the question: “How can the Company Health and Wellness Program move forward towards the desired state?”

Sometimes the gaps that need to be filled can be addressed through Company Health and Wellness Program changes; other gaps might require policy changes. However, using a gap analysis will help you establish areas for Company Health and Wellness Program improvement as well as the actions needed to make progress towards those goals.