Wellness Programs : Worker Screening Programs.

Health risk screening programs must be carried out on a one-on-one basis by trained healthcare specialists. Health risk measures ought to include the following -

• Blood pressure measurements - at least two blood pressure (BP) measurements taken during the screening episode, using a mercury sphygmomanometers or regularly calibrated aneroids.    

• Blood pressure treatment status - ascertain whether the participant is under a physician’s care, on any medication, on a prescribed diet, or any other kind of treatment for hypertension.    

• Blood cholesterol measurement - sum cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol taken either using a properly tested and maintained table top blood analyzer providing immediate feedback to the client, or sending blood to a laboratory providing feedback using a method that is as effective as immediate feedback.    

• Cholesterol treatment status - ascertain whether the patron is under a doctor’s care, on any medication, on a prescribed diet, or any other type of treatment for high cholesterol.    

• Obesity - utilize an accepted method for estimating obesity. for example assess participants height and weight and use the 1959 Metropolitan Life Height/Weight charts or use Body Mass Index (BMI).    

   o Identify individuals  20% or more above their ideal weight.

• Use of tobacco status - assess whether the participant currently smokes cigarettes, whether the patron has quit or never smoked, and the number of cigarettes smoked/day.    

• Exercise habits - screening questions might  be limited to frequency and duration exercise. Do participants exercise in a moderately vigorous fashion at least three times per week for 30 minutes or more.    

• Diabetes - whether the customer has diabetes, and whether or not it is currently under control. A blood glucose could  be also done via finger stick and desk top analyzer. A few manufactures make available cassettes which include cholesterol and glucose measurements.

• Cerebrovascular illness or occlusive PVD - ascertain when the customer has had a stroke or other kind of capillary illness.

• Family history of cardiovascular disease - ascertain whether any of the participants’ parents or siblings had a heart attack or sudden death due to heart disease before age 55.

• Coronary heart illness - ascertain when the customer has had a heart attack or other kind of coronary heart illness.

• Stress - participant’s assessment of stress in work and/or personal life. A series of well-tested and validated questions analyzing  levels of stress are available from the Worker Health Program.

• Participant release form (see forms) - A release form is required in which the participant permits the health promotion program to draw blood for testing to send information to the participant’s medical care provider when medical risks are identified, and to obtain information from the provider about diagnosis and prescribed treatment.

• Participant interest survey - if an assessment of interest hasn’t been gathered previously, the screening activity must assess levels of interest in health promotion programs like -  weight control, smoking cessation, fitness or exercise, stress management, nutrition, self-care, cholesterol control.

• Health education messages - the screener must review with the participant his/her identified health risks and what they mean to the participant’s overall health, and give the participant a written record of the blood pressure, sum cholesterol, and any other physiological measures taken.

• Referral of participants for treatment - participants with elevated risks must be referred to appropriate sources of diagnosis and possible treatment following nationally or locally recognized guidelines for such referral.

Demographic information should include location of the screening, workplace, customer’s name, address, social security number, home and work phone numbers, sex, race, birthdate, relevant job information (e.g., hourly or salaried), department number, and work shift.