Occupational health-promotion programs: evaluation efforts and measured cost savings.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent of corporate health-promotion program proliferation and propose a methodology to determine the effectiveness of these programs from a benefit to cost perspective. A national survey of firms sponsoring health-promotion activities was conducted. The specific goal of this study was to determine the extent to which firms were actually conducting financial analyses in order to determine whether their health-promotion programs were generating benefits that justified continued program funding. The results showed that although the concept of corporate health-promotion programs is popular, there is very little concern on the part of the sponsoring firms for measuring the effectiveness of their programs, particularly from a financial perspective. This suggests a vulnerability, as far as those programs are concerned. If such program costs cannot be justified on some quantifiable basis, the possibility of their cancellation seems rather likely if it becomes necessary to reduce expenditures.