FAST TRACK ARTICLE Association Between Nine Quality Components and Superior Worksite Health Management Program Results Paul E. Terry, PhD Erin L. D. Seaverson, MPH Jessica Grossmeier, MPH David R. Anderson, PhD Objective: To assess the prevalence of “best practice” program components across a select sample of organizations, and to explore differences in engagement rates and health risk reduction between organizations using “best-practice” and “common-practice” health management approaches. Methods: Using a retrospective approach, researchers assigned organizations to a “best practice” or “common- practice” group based on well-defined criteria. The study examined group differences in employee health assessment participation rates, health coaching program participation and completion rates, and organizational-level health risk reduction. Results: Best-practice organi- zations achieved higher levels of engagement than common-practice organizations in both health assessment and health coaching programs. Population-level and intervention-level health risk reduction was 2.35 and 1.08 times higher, respectively, among best-practice organizations compared with common-practice organizations. Conclusions: This study demonstrates the contribution of quality program components to supe- rior program engagement rates and health outcomes. (J Occup Environ Med. 2008;50:633– 641) F ifteen years ago the practice of work- site health management was charac- terized by a lack of consensus about what components comprised an ef- fective program. 1 Consensus has since begun to emerge supporting a comprehensive, population-based worksite health management and productivity management model and related quality standards. 2–8 How- ever, most studies of the relationship between worksite health manage- ment and improved employee health and productivity have focused on the effectiveness of risk-specific inter- ventions. 9 –14 Despite longstanding advocacy for population-based ap- proaches to health management, 15,16 there remains a dearth of empirical evi- dence linking a comprehensive health management strategy incorporating rec- ommended quality components to pop- ulation-level improvements in health and productivity. Over the same 15-year period, na- tional and state-level surveys of worksite health management trends indicate growing interest in work- site-based health and productivity initiatives. 1,17–19 These surveys indi- cate that while health management programs are most often offered by employers with over 750 employees, many small companies (15 to 99 employees) have also implemented select health management programs and policies. 17,20 Such surveys com- monly assess the frequency of risk- specific program offerings that are intended to assist employees in im- proving health and preventing or managing illness. Overall, about half From the StayWell Health Management, Eagan, Minn. Address correspondence to: Erin L. D. Seaverson, MPH, StayWell Health Management, 3000 Ames Crossing Road, Eagan, MN 55121; E-mail: Erin.Seaverson@StayWell.com. Copyright © 2008 by American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine DOI: 10.1097/JOM.0b013e31817e7c1c JOEM • Volume 50, Number 6, June 2008 633