Company Health and Wellness : Health Risk Appraisals / Health Risk Assessments

Health Risk Assessments / Health Risk Appraisals, are an assessment tool or questionnaire scientifically designed to identify health risks and outline information to assist  people in making healthy changes that influence their health and prevent chronic disease.

Health Risk Assessments / Health Risk Appraisals have four standard components in worksite settings:
• A Questionnaire
• A Computer Program to Review Health Risk Factors
• Confidential Individual Reports
• Group Summary Report

Employees complete a lifestyle questionnaire that includes for example nutrition practices, height and weight, exercise habits, family history, stress perceptions, smoking history, and work satisfaction. Another valuable feature to consider is readiness to change questions to determine participation interest. Including health screenings such as cholesterol and Blood Pressure results increases the benefits of an Health Risk Appraisal / Health Risk Assessment by providing a more accurate health assessment and therefore improving lifestyle choice decisions and program options. Nonetheless, it is valuable to determine if the Health Risk Appraisal / Health Risk Assessment can be used without including this information.

The health risk questionnaire information is entered into a computer program and an individual confidential report is generated that summarizes health risks as well as information on how to lower risk factors. Individual reports are completely confidential. Depending on the reason for implementing the Health Risk Appraisal / Health Risk Assessment, it’s significant to consider the type of report the company will receive as well. A group report summarizing major risk factors and recommendations for programs to enable in order to lower employee and company risks provides significant information for your wellness program.

The Health Risk Appraisals / Health Risk Assessments can be used to:
• Raise awareness to individual employee’s health status
• Motivate workers to make healthier lifestyle changes
• Coach elevated-risk employees
• Establish Company Health Promotion Programs based on the identified needs
• Evaluate program performance by comparing Health Risk Appraisals / Health Risk Assessments completed at set intervals such as yearly.