Health risk screening programs should be carried out on a one-on-one basis by trained health care specialists. Health risk measures should include the following –
• Blood pressure measurements – at least two blood pressure measurements taken during the screening episode, using a mercury sphygmomanometers or regularly calibrated aneroids.
• Blood pressure (BP) treatment status – ascertain whether the participant is under a doctor’s care, on any medication, on a prescribed diet, or any other kind of treatment for hypertension.
• Blood cholesterol measurement – total cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol taken either using a properly tested and maintained table top blood analyzer providing immediate feedback to the patron, or sending blood to a laboratory providing feedback using a method that is as effective as immediate feedback.
• Cholesterol treatment status – ascertain whether the customer is under a physician’s care, on any medication, on a prescribed diet, or any other kind 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.
o Identify individuals 20 percent or more above their ideal weight.
• Smoking 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 may 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 client 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. Several manufactures make available cassettes which include cholesterol and glucose measurements.
• Cerebrovascular disease or occlusive PVD – ascertain when the patron has had a stroke or other type of blood vessel disease.
• Family history of cardiovascular illness – ascertain whether any of the participants’ parents or siblings had a heart attack or sudden death as a result of heart illness before age 55.
• Coronary heart illness – ascertain if the client 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 reviewing levels of stress are available from the Staff Member Health Program.
• Participant release form (see forms) – A release form is required in which the participant allows the wellness program to draw blood for testing to send information to the participant’s medical care provider if medical risks are identified, and to obtain information from the provider about diagnosis and prescribed treatment.
• Participant interest survey – when an assessment of interest has not been gathered previously, the screening activity must assess levels of interest in wellness 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, total 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 ought to include location of the screening, worksite, 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.
