8 ways to get the best value from health screening benefits
Health screenings via the workplace are becoming increasingly popular, with the latest REBA and Axa Employee Wellbeing Research finding that screening or health assessments are now offered by 59% of employers.
Relatively affordable in comparison with other physical health support options like health insurance, screening is a way to extend health benefits across entire workforces.
But health assessments can only make a difference to individuals – and provide value to the businesses they work for – if they are introduced and used effectively.
Here are 8 ways to get the maximum value from health screening:
1. Effective launch/introduction
There’s no point in putting in the hard work of implementing a screening programme if you don’t tell people about it. Setting aside time, resources and budget to properly launch and promote assessments is key – and can make a huge difference to take-up.
2. Regular reminders
Once you’ve told people about your screening programme, tell them again. And again. Look for providers who can help you with regular communications, newsletters and reminder invitations that go directly to employee inboxes.
3. Removing barriers to testing
The other important part of boosting take-up is removing barriers and making it as easy as possible for employees to attend an appointment. That might look like an on-site health assessment day, for instance, or paid and supported time off work to get to a test centre.
Another barrier is fear. It’s important to support those who might feel worried – either about their general health or particular procedures such as like blood tests. Addressing those fears directly, in communications or through line management, can help get people into their assessment.
4. Leadership support
Training line managers to encourage the take-up of benefits is really valuable, as is securing buy-in and support from leadership.
If the senior management team is visibly talking about health assessments, going for their own and sharing their experience on the intranet or in team meetings, it paves the way for employees to follow.
5. Sharing stories
When something becomes personal, it becomes real. That is why sharing stories is a powerful way to spread the message about the value of health assessments. If you have someone who has learned something new about their health, and been able to tackle it as a result – and is willing to talk about it – it can be incredibly motivational.
6. Effective integration
That might mean creating clear paths for employees to take their health assessment results through to your 24/7 GP service and on to make a claim on your private medical insurance.
Or it might be making health assessments part of your communications, campaigns or charity fundraising activities – for instance around Movember, or Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.
Help raise awareness of symptoms and remind people there’s a ready-made way for them to get themselves checked out.
7. Actionable insight
Your health screening programme can only go so far unless you’re able to collate data and use it to create change.
The goal is to understand the underlying health issues affecting your business and act on that information to create health initiatives and steer your wider strategy.
The aim is to target activity that can help motivate individuals to make lifestyle changes and help your business lower sickness absence, boost engagement and improve productivity.
8. Repeat testing
The best way to get the most out of a health screening programme is repeat testing.
One set of results gives you a snapshot of your organisation’s health. Data from every year, or every 24 months, gives you patterns, trends – and the power to do something about them.
In partnership with Bluecrest Wellness
Bluecrest Wellness offers high-quality health screenings.
