The MBGH 2015 Employer Benchmarking Survey on management of obesity and diabetes provided insights and key findings regarding obesity and diabetes programs and initiatives:

Metrics used by the employers to measure program success:

• Clinical screening (83%)
• Medical claims and pharmacy data (83%)
• Health-related surveys (50%)

Program effectiveness metrics used by respondents for diabetes (in order of “popularity”):

• Reduced health care costs
• Reduced blood pressure
• Lowered cholesterol
• Lowered A1c
• Increases/decreases in health risk status

Program effectiveness metrics used by respondents for obesity (in order of “popularity”):

• Lower BMI
• Weight lost
• Reduced health care costs
• Reduced waist circumference
• Increases/decreases in health risk status

Both diabetes and obesity showed increased productivity, improved presenteeism and reduced absenteeism as popular metrics as well.

Metrics shared with leadership:

• Health care costs (83%)
• Change in health risk status (67%)
• Drug utilization by cost (50%)
• Company program utilization (50%)

Thirty-three percent of respondents reported sharing drug utilization by volume and health plan/PBM program utilization with leadership. Another 17% do not share any metrics with leadership.