RESEARCH UPDATE

Biometric Screening Paper Released

The HERO Screenings Study Committee, which is made up of HERO members and representatives from the American College of Occupational & Environmental Medicine and the Care Continuum Alliance, have collaborated to create a paper that provides guidance for employers on how to integrate biometric screenings into their employee wellness programs.

The paper, “Biometric Health Screening for Employers”, was published in the October 2013 issue of the Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine.

This is the second paper created by a HERO study committee. The first, “Guidance for a Reasonably Designed, Employer-Sponsored Wellness Program Using Outcomes-Based Incentives,” is also available on the HERO website.  Three other HERO study committees have been formed and are at work to produce guidance for employers on important health related topics.  These committees include the Health, Performance & Productivity Committee, Creating A Culture of Health Committee, and the Employer-Community Health Collaboration Committee. Watch for updates on work from these committees in future editions of HERO on Health.

HERO Scorecard Research Project

We are pleased to report that the research study, “The Predictive Validity of the HERO Scorecard in Determining Future Healthcare Cost and Risk Trends” has been accepted for publication by the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. This study authored by Ron Goetzel, the Truven Health Analytics and Emory University research teams, and members of the HERO Research Study Subcommittee, looks at the relationship between actual medical costs and reported health risks for employees of companies that have also completed the HERO Scorecard. Time of publication is yet to be determined.