Wellness and Disease Management Resources

Cardiovascular and Diabetes Health Resources:

The American Heart Association (AHA) developed an initiative that focuses on managing health and well-being at work. The AHA CEO Roundtable developed the Playbook titled Good Health is Good Business to help employers understand what works in workplace health, and design programs accordingly. 

The National Alliance put together a resource for employers on how to manage employee cardiovascular health, improve health outcomes and associated costs.

Given the overlap between the two diseases, the Midwest Business Group on Health (MGBH) put together a Diabetes and Cardiovascular health toolkit for employers to address the high rates of the two diseases among employees. The toolkit includes a number background, resources and strageties to lower risk factors and the prevalence of the diseases among employee populations.

The Midwest Business Group on Health put together a resource on the importance of employees being able to access and afford insulin in order to successfully manage their diabetes. The MBGH also provides a number of resources focusing on diabetes management in the workplace.

Racial and ethnic minorities, those who are of lower-socioeconomic status and less educated have a higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Once these groups become diabetic it is very hard manage the condition. The North East Business Group on Health (NEBGH) put together a resource for employers that focuses on the challenges this population experiences with diabetes and associated illnesses like cardiovascular disease and how employers can help.

Obesity Resources:

Understanding the Science of Obesity is key to treating Obesity as a disease.  This Presentation by Dr. Domenica Rubino, Director of the Washington Center for Weight Management and Research, is a common-sense introduction to the physiology of Obesity, and how this condition is manifested in many other diseases.

This Action Brief by the National Alliance addresses barriers to effectively addressing obesity and provides solutions for employers. 

Addressing Obesity starts with an evidence-based benefit design.  The STOP Obesity Alliance has created this evidence-based set of Obesity Recommendations for that purpose.  These Slides explain the development of the recommendations.  Use this Checklist to align your benefits address Obesity effectively, and track codes to establish a benchmark, and track progress with their efforts.

Bariatric Surgery can play a role in effective Obesity management.  Click for this informative Action Brief addressing considerations for high-value Bariatric surgery.

Obesity affects many other conditions.  Purchasers should understand the true economic impact.  This Presentation explains how the different classes of Obesity also have different impacts on conditions ranging from heart failure to knee osteoarthritis, and the associated ICD codes that purchasers can use to understand that impact on their population.  Milliman recently completed a study highlighting how costs of Obesity impact the commercial population.

The National Alliance developed an obesity initiative focused on working with number of stakeholders to address obesity. The goal of the initiative is to enact change through education, policy, population/community health and treatment.

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) funded 19 studies related to obesity. On the organization's website readers can access a myriad of resources related to the studies.

Cancer Resources:

The NEBGH put together a guide called Cancer Survivorship: Challenges and Opportunities for Employers. This guide includes a compilatiion of literature reviews, expert and cancer survivor interviews and collaborations with employers. And it is designed to create a workplace that supports cancer survivors.

The National Alliance put together an Oncology Initiative to provide coalitions and employers with successful strategies for supporting employees with their cancer care. The initiative includes strategies and best practices for championing cancer support in the workplace.

There have been advances in cancer care and with the advancement has come an increased cost of care. In order to help employers provide benefits and coverage that enable access to high quality cancer care and outcomes at a reasonable cost the National Alliance put together a resource along with other expert stakeholders to guide employers.

This resource from the National Alliance looks at research performed by PCORI that evaluted the frequency of testing/screening practices following surgery for colorectal cancer, addressing the question whether more frequent testing was better at spotting tumor recurrence than less frequent surveillance.

Other Health and Wellness Topics:

The National Alliance put together a resource for empoyers that examines what specifically drives people-centered outcomes and
organizational performance.

The National Alliance recorded a webinair and posted the associated slides for employers to better understand cannabis and how to improve the safety and health of employees.

This action brief by the National Alliance focuses on steps employers can take to ensure employers are getting high quality and not just high cost care when it comes to medical imaging.

This action brief by the National Alliance helps guide employers and employees understand which rheumatoid arthritis treatments and prescriptions are the best and most cost effective.