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Caterpillar Healthy Balance (2000)

Description

Healthy BalanceSM Program Goals

  • Motivate positive change in modifiable health risk behaviors
  • Reduce health risks, improve health status-long term
  • Promote self-efficacy and informed decision-making
  • Reduce healthcare and related costs/trends
  • Achieve exceptional participation via strong incentives

Intervention

The Healthy Balance Program (the Program) was developed over a three-year period, and incorporates best practice features. The health promotion literature was reviewed; 21 companies with outstanding health promotion programs were benchmarked. The Healthtrac® Program, significantly modified and enhanced by Caterpillar, is the Program's foundation.

Key features

  • Strong incentives
  • Top-down management "buy-in" and involvement
  • Spouses included
  • Continuous evaluation/improvement

Components

(DR = demand reduction strategy; BC = behavior change strategy)

  • Low-cost confidential health assessment (HA) (DR, BC)
  • Focus on modifiable risks (BC) and increasing self-efficacy(DR, BC)
  • Personalized health education messages(DR, BC)
  • Stratification: low/high risk (BC), periodic assessment based on risk(BC)
  • Individualized interventions, targeted to health risks and readiness-to-change(BC)
  • Intensive high risk/chronic condition interventions, including disease management phone counseling(BC)
  • Serial tracking(BC), ongoing monitoring/adjustment of interventions(BC)
  • Coordination with related interventions (on-site classes, referral to community programs, etc.) (DR, BC)
  • Self-care book(DR) and quarterly newsletters to all eligibles(DR)
  • Toll-free health information line and audio library(DR)
  • Intranet website regularly updated, linked to sites providing scientifically validated information (e.g., drkoop.com)(DR, BC)
  • Ongoing evaluation-using integrated data warehouse (claims, absenteeism, HA, etc.); communication of summary results to employees

Target Population

All U.S.-based non-union employees (49% of workforce) and spouses (N = 41,500+). To be added: retirees, union workers (pending contract changes).

Funding Source

Executive Office.

Staffing

A division of Corporate Medical Department. Full-time staff: Health Promotion Manager, Program Administrator, Data Analysis Administrator, Communicator, and two Health Promotion Analysts. Part-time staff: nurses (diabetes, cardiac care), health educators. Guided by Corporate Medical Director, Director of Managed Care, and physicians representing (clinical psychology, infectious disease, public health, and occupational health). Additionally, 91 staff with part-time health promotion-related responsibilities and 5 full-time health promotion specialists coordinate the Program through local programs at more than 142 U.S. and international locations.