Doris L. Konicki

Health and productivity as a business strategy.

Objective: The objective of this study is to assess the magnitude of health-related lost productivity relative to medical and pharmacy costs for four employers and assess the business implications of a “full-cost” approach to managing health. Methods: A database was developed by integrating medical and pharmacy claims data with employee self-report productivity and health information collected through the Health and Work Performance Questionnaire (HPQ). Information collected on employer business measures were combined with this database to model health-related lost productivity. Results: 1) Health-related productivity costs were more than four times greater than medical and pharmacy costs. 2) The full cost of poor health is driven by different health conditions than those driving medical and pharmacy costs alone. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that Integrated Population Health & Productivity Management should be built on a foundation of Integrated Population Health & Productivity Measurement. Therefore, employers would reveal a blueprint for action for their integrated health and productivity enhancement strategies by measuring the full health and productivity costs related to the burdens of illness and health risk in their population.

Health-related workplace productivity measurement: General and migraine-specific recommendations from the ACOEM expert panel

An establishment of health-related productivity measurements and critical evaluation of health-related productivity tools is needed. An expert panel was created. A literature search was conducted to identify health-related productivity measurement tools. Each instrument was reviewed for: 1) supporting scientific evidence (eg, reliability and validity); 2) applicability to various types of occupations, diseases, and level of severity of disease; 3) ability to translate data into a monetary unit; and 4) practicality. A modified Delphi technique was used to build consensus. The expert panel recommended absenteeism, presenteeism, and employee turnover/replacement costs as key elements of workplace health-related productivity measurement. The panel also recommended that productivity instruments should: 1) have supporting scientific evidence, 2) be applicable to the particular work setting, 3) be supportive of effective business decision-making, and 4) be practical. Six productivity measurement tools were reviewed. The panel recommended necessary elements of workplace health-related productivity measurement, key characteristics for evaluating instruments, and tools for measuring work loss. Continued research, validation, and on-going evaluation of health-related productivity instruments are needed.

Workplace health protection and promotion: a new pathway for a healthier--and safer--workforce.

Traditionally, health protection and health promotion activities have operated independently of each other in the workplace. Health protection has usually been viewed as encompassing the activities that protect workers from occupational injury and illness ranging from basic safety training to the us

Advancing workplace health protection and promotion for an aging workforce.

Objective: To explore issues related to the aging workforce, including barriers to integrating health protection and promotion programs, and provide recommendations for best practices to maximize contributions by aging workers. Methods: Workgroups reviewed literature and case studies to develop consensus statements and recommendations for a national approach to issues related to older workers. Results: Consensus statements and actions steps were identified for each of the Summit goals and call-to-action statements were developed. Conclusions: A national dialogue to build awareness of integrated health protection and promotion for the aging workforce is needed. Workers will benefit from improved health and performance; employers will realize a more engaged and productive workforce; and the nation will gain a vital, competitive workforce.

Integrating health and safety in the workplace: how closely aligning health and safety strategies can yield measurable benefits.

Objective: To better understand how integrating health and safety strategies in the workplace has evolved and establish a replicable, scalable framework for advancing the concept with a system of health and safety metrics, modeled after the Dow Jones Sustainability Index. Methods: Seven leading national and international programs aimed at creating a culture of health and safety in the workplace were compared and contrasted. Results: A list of forty variables was selected, making it clear there is a wide variety of approaches to integration of health and safety in the workplace. Conclusion: Depending on how well developed the culture of health and safety is within a company, there are unique routes to operationalize and institutionalize the integration of health and safety strategies to achieve measurable benefits to enhance the overall health and well-being of workers, their families, and the community.

Tracking the Market Performance of Companies That Integrate a Culture of Health and Safety: An Assessment of Corporate Health Achievement Award Applicants.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the hypothesis that stock market performance of companies achieving high scores on either health or safety in the Corporate Health Achievement Award (CHAA) process will be superior to average index performance. Methods: The stock market performance of portfolios of CHAA winners was examined under six different scenarios using simulation and past market performance in tests of association framed to inform the investor community. Results: CHAA portfolios out-performed the S&P average on all tests. Conclusions: This study adds to the growing evidence that a healthy and safe workforce correlates with a companys performance and its ability to provide positive returns to shareholders. It advances the idea that a proven set of health and safety metrics based on the CHAA evaluation process merits inclusion with existing measures for market valuation.

Medical evacuations from oil rigs off the Gulf Coast of the United States from 2008 to 2012: reasons and cost implications

Objective: To identify reasons for air medical evacuations from oil rigs/platforms. Methods: Retrospective review of data of medical calls from 102 rigs/platforms in the US Gulf Coast from 2008 through 2012 with specific analysis of medevacs. Results: On average, 1609 total calls per year relating to illness or injury on the 102 oil rigs/platforms with 4% to 7% requiring medical air evacuation. On average, 77% of medevacs were for nonoccupational medical injury or illness. Conclusions: Illness, not occupational injuries, is identified as the major reason for medical evacuations from oil rigs. Heart disease is the leading cause of chronic health conditions resulting in a medevac.

Interaction of Health Care Worker Health and Safety and Patient Health and Safety in the US Health Care System: Recommendations From the 2016 Summit

Ronald Loeppke, MD, MPH, Jodie Boldrighini, RN, MBA, John Bowe, Barbara Braun, PhD, Erik Eggins, Barry S. Eisenberg, Paul Grundy, MD, MPH, Todd Hohn, CSP, T. Warner Hudson, MD, John Kannas Jr., MSPH, E. Andrew Kapp, PhD, CSP, CHMM, Doris Konicki, MHS, Paul Larson, MS, Stephanie McCutcheon, Robert K. McLellan, MD, MPH, Julie Ording, MPH, Charlotte Perkins, Mark Russi, MD, Cindy Stutts, MS, RN, and Mary Yarbrough, MD, MPH

Advancing Value-based Medicine: Why Integrating Functional Outcomes With Clinical Measures Is Critical to Our Health Care Future

E ach year, millions of American workers develop health problems that may temporarily or permanently remove them from the workforce. Although most are able to work again after a brief recovery period, in approximately 10% of cases, workers incur injuries or illnesses severe enough to lead to prolonged or permanent withdrawal from the workforce. These conditions are both workand nonwork related—and range from injuries in the workplace to illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. Although these illnesses may not be related to a person’s job, they nonetheless impact workers’ ability to function effectively in everyday life. Functional impairment related to injury or illness is a condition in which individuals may have a loss of physical ability, limitations on their day-to-day living activities, or restrictions on their societal interactions. People who are functionally impaired often have a multidimensional condition, the collective impact of which is much greater than physical impairment alone. Those who are functionally impaired may not be able to drive, cook for themselves, or keep up with finances, household care, and other personal daily activities. In addition, there is the