We have touched based on Health and Risk Assessments in the corporate wellness world; now let's dive deeper and explore how Health and Risk Assessments are vital tools which will benefit your employees and your company.

What is a Health and Risk Assessment (HRA) and Why is it Important?

A Health and Risk Assessment, or HRA, is a questionnaire or a survey which is used to gather information on the health status of each employee in order to determine health risk factors and status of your company. The problem within a population is not always necessarily being overweight, but could span to conditions like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or high blood sugar. A HRA measures a person’s health risks; from that, you can determine what you can do to minimize those risks and prevent conditions from becoming more serious.

What Does a Health and Risk Assessment (HRA) Specifically Measure?

Although all HRA’s vary slightly, there are core questions HRA’s comprise of. According to the CDC, sample questions include the following:

• Demographics and limited family/personal health history
• Self-assessment of health status, frailty, or physical/mental functioning
• Biometric measures: e.g., overweight and obesity (height/weight, BMI, waist circumference), hypertension (systolic/diastolic blood pressure), blood lipids (HDL/LDL and total cholesterol, triglycerides), and blood glucose
• Psychological risks: e.g., depression/life satisfaction, stress/anger, loneliness/social isolation, and pain/fatigue
• Behavioral risks: e.g., tobacco use, inadequate physical activity, poor nutrition or diet, excessive alcohol consumption, prescription drug use for nonmedical reasons, and motor vehicle safety
• Compliance with current screenings, chemoprophylaxis and immunization guidelines established by the USPSTF and ACIP

What are Other Benefits of Health and Risk Assessments (HRA’s)?

HRA’s are available via technology and are typically low in cost, making them easily accessible! Results are quick, if not instantaneous and employees can take the HRA at their own pace on their own time. Another great advantage of HRA’s is that they are a great way to track progress if taken continuously throughout wellness implementation. Both the employees and employer can see whether or not they improved and by how much. Based on the results, short-term goals can be reassessed.