Physicians Views on Worksite Health Programs (2010)
In 2010, MBGH conducted
a national survey of physician views on employers’ health management
programs to
better understand and improve the effectiveness of employer-based
health improvement and management program.
Previous MBGH research had found that physicians are a highly trusted
adviser and have a great influence on a patient's decision to
participate in employer-sponsored health management programs. This
survey results indicating that 72% of doctors
surveyed agree that employers should play a role in the health of their
employees with chronic conditions such as diabetes or heart disease.
MBGH is using these results to help employers create
programs that actively include physician participation and support a
physician's access to information on employer sponsored programs
activities so they can promote them to their patients.
For a summary of key survey findings, click on the full press release (March 2010)
Preventive Benefits Survey (2010)
Employers are increasingly investing resources in preventive care and wellness programs in the expectation that they will find reduced costs and increased productivity. Through this research survey, MBGH determined the extent that respondent employers are adopting approaches that support the use of preventive screenings, vaccinations, and the education of preventive care benefits and programs.
The survey findings are timely as the White House announced the Affordable Care Act
on September 23, 2010 and requires new insurance
plans to provide preventive care without cost-sharing. While this will
remove financial barriers for many Americans to preventive services such
as mammograms, colonoscopies and immunizations – employers are working
to determine the impact on their benefits plans and health care
expenses.
Key employer recommendation include the following: (1) Focus on prevention through awareness and education campaigns to encourage employees to stay healthy and help reduce health care costs for unnecessary illnesses; (2) Employers should focus on education and communication to ensure employees take advantage of current employer preventive services; (3) Remove access barriers to employer program and services; and (4) Better align incentives to encourage employees to
actively take care of their health.
View the entire list of recommendations in the
full press release (August 2010)
Atlanta-Chicago Health & Performance Initiative (2005)
This project was targeted to help employers understand the importance of accounting for the total cost of employee health. MBGH partnered with Harvard Medical School, Georgia Health Care Leadership Council, and the Institute for Health and Productivity Management (IHPM) in a three-year Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) research project.
Participating employers were able to collect data on health and productivity, using the HPQ-Select Questionnaire without making a financial investment and leverage the expertise of Harvard and DataStat (the survey administrators) in order to improve the cost-effectiveness of health care benefits programs. Each participating employer received individual survey results that quantified the effects of health problems on lost productivity and consultation on how to prioritize and evaluate interventions, policies, and benefit plan designs.