Wellness Program Follow-Up.

The keys to a successful wellness program are persistent one-on-one outreach and follow-up counseling to encourage health improvement, adherence to treatment regimens, changes in lifestyle behaviors, and to prevent relapse.

Periodic outreach and follow-up procedures provide workers with a safety net which keeps them involved in the program and avoids treatment dropout and relapse.

Counselors ought to follow up on workers at least every 6 months throughout the career of the staff member at the worksite. the goals of follow-up are to –  

• Involve employees who have health risks in treatment and risk reduction programs.

• Involve all staff members in health improvement programs and worksite-wide wellness activities.

• Support employees in carrying out the risk reduction or health betterment activities they have chosen.

• Be sure to help workers obey their treatment regimens.

• Avoid relapse.

• Avoid staff members from dropping out.

• Make sure to help staff members maintain behavior changes.

Follow-up may be conducted in individuals, by phone, mail, and via computer if the technology is available. Most preferable is an in-person contact.

Computer programs which may do case load management are available to help counselors track information and perform follow-up.

Priorities for Follow-Up

Individuals  with multiple health risks ought to be at the top of the list. Individuals  in key positions such as union leaders or department heads with health risks should also be contacted early so that they learn what the program is about and can share the information with others.

Individuals  who need a medical analysis for high blood pressure or cholesterol should also be targeted early. Many staff members will have seen their physicians so of the screening, but some will need more encouragement to do so. Those with no health risks could be followed up annually.

A follow-up counseling session can take 20 to 45 minutes. at minimum, follow-up must include those who were told to seek medical examination for high blood pressure (BP) readings, high cholesterol readings, or borderline high blood cholesterol readings with 2 or more other risk factors.

It could include those who were identified as at-risk for one or more of the other major risk factors –  at-risk levels of alcohol consumption, being overweight, and having low HDL.

Follow-Up With Doctors

A letter (see forms) ought to be sent to the physician or clinic of each staff member who’s high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or is under a physician’s care.

The letter should explain the program and should include the employee’s relevant, current health measurements.

Along with the letter, send a self-addressed return envelope. Follow-up with the physician ought to be repeated every 6 months until it is determined that the employee is under satisfactory control.

Contacting the physician is important for three reasons –

• the doctors receive employees’ health measurements taken at the worksite.

• You receive the blood pressure and cholesterol readings the doctor takes and information on the treatment the doctor prescribes.

A lot of times the staff member doesn’t have this information or doesn’t remember it. the information could be used when counseling the staff member.

• Follow-up encourages doctors to pay closer attention to heart disease risk factors among their patients.