The keys to a successful health promotion 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 workforce with a safety net which keeps them involved in the wellness program and prevents treatment dropout and relapse.
Counselors should follow up on staff members at least every 6 months throughout the career of the employee at the workplace. The objectives of follow-up are to –
• Involve workers who have health risks in treatment and risk reduction programs.
• Involve all workers in health promotion programs and workplace-wide wellness activities.
• Support staff members in carrying out the risk reduction or health betterment activities they have chosen.
• Be sure to help staff members follow their treatment programs.
• Avoid relapse.
• Avoid workforce from dropping out.
• Be sure to help personnel maintain behavior changes.
Follow-up can 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 could do case load management are available to help counselors track information and perform follow-up.
Priorities for Follow-Up
People with multiple health risks ought to be at the top of the list. People in key positions such as union leaders or department heads with health risks should also be contacted early so that they learn what the wellness program is about and can share the information with others.
Individuals who need a medical evaluation for high blood pressure or cholesterol should also be targeted early. Many workers will have seen their physicians thus of the screening, but some will need more encouragement to do so. Those with no health risks may be followed up yearly.
A follow-up counseling session can take 20 to 45 minutes. At minimum, follow-up must include those who were told to seek medical investigation for high blood pressure 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 Physicians
A letter (see forms) must be sent to the doctor or clinic of each worker who’s high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or is under a doctor’s care.
The letter should explain the health promotion program and should include the staff member’s relevant, current health measurements.
Along with the letter, send a self-addressed return envelope. Follow-up with the doctor should be repeated every 6 months until it is determined that the staff member is under satisfactory control.
Contacting the doctor is important for three reasons –
• The physicians receive employees’ health measurements taken at the workplace.
• You receive the blood pressure (BP) and cholesterol readings the physician takes and information on the treatment the physician prescribes.
A lot of times the staff member doesn’t have this information or doesn’t remember it. The information may be used when counseling the staff member.
• Follow-up encourages physicians to pay closer attention to heart disease risk factors among their patients.
