HEALTH RISK APPRAISALS

A health risk assessment (HRA) questionnaire is a tool that gives individuals an assessment of their current health and quality of life. The HRA provides education to employees and the results help employers set goals, design and evaluate programs. The HRA serves several important functions.

• The process of completing the HRA educates employees about what they can do to improve their health.
• Participants receive a customized report that shows the areas in which they are doing well and where they need improvement. The report provides recommended lifestyle changes. Individuals can use this information to set goals that they would like to accomplish while participating in a wellness program.
• Employers can use the HRA to identify those individuals who are eligible for a health promotion program.
• HRA results, when sorted and reported as an aggregate set, give a company a good indication of its level of wellness.
• Reports can usually be generated by location, demographics, and other factors so the employer can tailor its health promotion efforts accordingly.
• The HRA results can help the employer set goals.
• At the end of the program time frame, usually one year, the employer can assess whether the employer was able to meet its goals (e.g. reduce the percentage of employees who report cigarette smoking from 30% to 20%).
• This information can then be used as a way to promote the program to both upper management and other potential participants.