Offer Voluntary Biometric Screenings, Health Risk Assessments and Follow-up Health Education

voluntary-biometric-screeningsBiometric screenings and HRAs are brief evaluations of a person’s health status or risk factors.26,27 They may involve the measurement of physical characteristics such as height, weight, blood pressure, blood cholesterol and blood glucose, and they may involve a survey or questionnaire.26,27 The value of these tools is that (1) they can help guide the planning and design of workplace health promotion programs, and (2) they can help employees and their healthcare providers detect current or potential problems early on, when interventions are most likely to be most effective.27,28 You can use the results of biometric screenings and HRAs to educate employees on their individual risk factors and ways they can use the workplace wellness program to address or change behaviors and improve their health profile.27,28 Keeping participation in these programs voluntary will help you avoid potential ethical issues.27,29 For more detailed information on how you can best implement biometric screening and HRA programs at the workplace, consult the AHA scientific advisory on worksite wellness screening or “Biometric Health Screening for Employers” guide developed by the HERO, American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine and Care Continuum Alliance.27