Biometric Wellness Screenings are an investment in your company. Research shows that many significant diseases are preventable through lifestyle adjustments. Inspired by rising healthcare costs, more than half of American companies now use biometric screenings as a preventative measure to support employee health and ultimately decrease their healthcare costs, investing in the well-being of the workforce.
As we continue to navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic, health experts have reported that those with various comorbidities have suffered more severe after-effects from the virus. These risk factors can be detected early through a comprehensive Corporate Wellness Program, which includes regular biometric screenings.
What are Biometric Wellness Screenings?
Building a corporate culture of Wellness takes time and proper planning. The first step is to thoroughly understand the health status and risk factors of your employees. This information can be obtained through on-site biometric screening and, subsequently, a customized Corporate Wellness Program can be created that best suits the health of each of your employees.
Biometric screening involves the statistical analysis of physical health characteristics that are measured through a short, clinical screening. Biometric screening can be used to analyze:
- Height
- Weight
- BMI (body mass index) and waist circumference
- Blood pressure
- Blood cholesterol levels and triglycerides
- Complete blood count or customizable blood panel
Why are Biometric Wellness Screenings Important?
The purpose of biometric screening is not to diagnose any medical conditions but to create a snapshot of one’s overall health. From this health baseline, you can more easily evaluate risk factors for a variety of health issues, many of which are preventable through early detection and lifestyle changes. While a biometric screening should not replace your annual physical exam with your doctor, it can alert you to possible risk factors to your health and any changes from your previous screening. These results instantly motivate your employees to take a proactive approach to their overall health.
Employees should be reminded that any medical information contained within their biometric screening is considered private and is protected under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.
How can Biometric Wellness Screenings Save your Company Money?
The ultimate goal for a corporate wellness program is that the results from biometric screenings then help to form the components of the overall program. For example, if results show that a significant percentage of employees are at risk for high blood pressure, nutrition counseling may be an area of focus for the corporate program. With regular screenings and health education through corporate wellness programs, you can help your employees to prevent many diseases through a proactive approach to addressing health concerns.
Biometric screenings can also help to better create benefit programs, saving companies money from unnecessary spending. The overall, aggregate health results obtained through biometric screenings can help companies better tailor their company health to specific areas of wellness so that they have maximum efficiency and are cost effective in the long run.
According to a study from the Employee Benefit Research Institute, biometric screening results lead to employees filling prescriptions for medications to reduce blood pressure, reduce cholesterol, to help employees quit smoking and to better manage depression. These are some of the leading causes of employee absenteeism which contribute significantly to company healthcare and insurance costs.
Biometric screenings should be voluntary in the workplace but many employers offer incentives to encourage more participation. Studies show that incentives are highly effective to encourage employees, and sometimes their families as well, to participate in workplace wellness initiatives. Employers should always consider such incentives a company investment.
Biometric Wellness Screenings can Help with Employee Retention
Through providing biometric screenings in the workplace, an employer can show both concern and support for the overall health of the employee population. The ultimate goal is for these screenings to promote improved employee performance and productivity which contributes to every company’s bottom line. Providing a workplace culture of compassion and a proactive approach to employee health will help you to keep your employees motivated to work for you. This, too, saves you money in the long run with less employee turnover and the associated costs.
Offer your Company Biometric Wellness Screenings as Soon as Possible
Looking after your employees’ health should be top priority. Many employers are scrambling to regain a sense of control over their employees’ wellbeing after the disastrous effects of COVID-19 for the past two years. COVID reminded us all that anything can happen at any time. A comprehensive Corporate Wellness Program with a focus on disease prevention is the key place to start to regain some control of the overall well-being of your workforce.
Midland Health specializes in providing customized, on-site health screenings using biometric tests for businesses with diverse employee populations. Midland Health can serve you in one or multiple locations with a proprietary data collection system that ensures test results are delivered quickly and accurately. Schedule an on-site Biometric Wellness Screening for your workplace. Get your free quote today.
The late Peter Drucker, American-Austrian management consultant whose writings contributed to the foundations of modern business, once said “Knowledge has power. It controls access to opportunity and advancement”. Biometric Wellness Screenings offer an opportunity to advance your company’s productivity and revenue. Include biometric screening in your company’s Corporate Wellness Program and see the power of knowledge pay off.
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