Measuring Program Results

Information to evaluate your program comes from regularly collected assessment and follow-up data of your program that look at process and outcomes of your program. The Worker 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 Assessment

Process evaluation looks at the Worksite Wellness ’s influence as seen at various points in time. Information that is gathered from the various forms that wellness employees fill out must supply you with the following:

• How many employees were screened?
• How many employees who were referred to a doctor went?
• How many employees who expressed interest in health improvement programs went?
• How many employees who were referred to health improvement programs went?
• How many employees who went to health improvement programs completed them?
• How many employees are in follow-up caseload?

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

Outcome Assessment

A central objective of the program is to improve the health of employees. Information on how to judge how well your program is meeting this objective is called “outcome evaluation” because you are evaluating the end results or outcome of your program. In wellness programs, objectives are measured by specific (outcomes) behavior changes and reductions in health risk levels. Have employees lowered their Blood Pressure (BP)? Have they lost weight? Are they exercising more? Is alcohol consumption at a safe level? By way of example these are the types of questions you can ask to learn if you are reaching your objectives:

• For employees with elevated Blood Pressure (BP) (140 / 90 or higher or on medication) at assessment, what percentage have it under control (below 140 / 90) a year later?
• What is the change in average Blood Pressure (BP) levels among all employees with elevated Blood Pressure (BP) 1 year after assessment? Two years later?
• For employees with elevated blood cholesterol levels (above 240) at screening, what percentage has reduced their cholesterol to borderline-high levels (200-239)?
• For employees with borderline-elevated 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 employees with high and borderline-high blood cholesterol levels 1 year after assessment? Two years later?
• For employees who were overweight at assessment, 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 assessment, what percentages have quit smoking? For at least a year?
• For employees whose level of alcohol consumption put them at-risk at assessment, what percentage have quit drinking alcohol? Are consuming alcohol at levels considered safe by CDC standard procedures? Have reduced their drinking, but are still at-risk?
• For employees, 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?

Set a regular time such as every 6 months to look at which employees your program is reaching and how effective it is at supporting them decrease 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 may feel that an assessment is a frill; it is not. Assessment is a essential part of a wellness program. You will need to be aware of what is working and what is not. Decision-makers who fund the program need to be updated on the performance of the program. Assessment will offer you with essential data to maintain and expand the program and convince management to continue to support the program.