University of Iowa healthier workforce center for excellence (HWCE): Statewide employer survey regarding adoption of elements of the IOM employee total health management model

Background and Objectives: Despite widespread implementation of integrated employee health programs among large employers and federal funding of the NIOSH Total Worker Health Program, there remains a need to define and measure what is meant by “integrated employee health programs”. The Employee Total Health Management Model developed and defined in the 2005 IOM report Integrating Employee Health—A Model Program for NASA provided that basis for a 12 domain questionnaire to assess employer implantation by domain, employment size, industrial sector and perceived return-on-investment. Methods: A total of 1,206 Iowa employers participated in the 2012 David P. Lind Benchmark Iowa Employer Benefits Study in which the IOM Model questionnaire was embedded as a Health and Wellness Module. Results: Over 60% of larger employers (250+ employees) reported currently offering programs in 10 of the 12 model domains, as compared to 11-43% among smaller employers (<250 employees). While participation by domain varied by major employment sector surveyed: Government/Education>Health/Social Services>Finance/Insurance/Real Estate>Manufacturing>Retail. Perceived ROI for employee health and wellness programs among the largest employer group (1000+ employees) was $3.49, for 250-999 $1.86, and for fewer than 250 $.039. Conclusions: The development of this IOM model-based questionnaire proved to be a useful method for assessing employer adoption of activities in 12 domains used by the IOM to define/assess integrated employee health.