Thomson Reuters Study Says Telephone Health Coaching Reduces Employee Health Risks...

Thomson Reuters Study Says Telephone Health Coaching Reduces Employee Health
Risks and Has Potential to Produce a Positive Return on Investment
Utilizing Innovative Forecasting Model, Study Demonstrates That Phone-Based
Coaching Has the Potential to Save $1.17 for Every Dollar Invested in the
Program

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Sept. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Employers seeking a cost
effective way to improve their employees' health and determine the return on
investment (ROI) for their wellness programs may now be a step closer to
understanding how to predict ROI, according to a study published in the
September issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
The study, conducted by Thomson Reuters in conjunction with American
Specialty Health, estimated the potential ROI from a wellness program
administered by American Specialty Health. The one-year study concluded that a
program of telephone-based health coaching for weight management can change
employees' behavior, reduce their health risk factors, and potentially produce
an ROI of 1.17 to 1.00. The study estimated total projected savings of
$311,755. Fifty-nine percent of the projected savings, or $184,582, was
attributed to reduced healthcare expenditures and 41 percent ($127,173) was
attributed to productivity improvements.
"Every day in the business world, financial analysts utilize mathematical
econometric models to predict future outcomes, such as changes in revenues and
expenses for an organization," said Ron Z. Goetzel, vice president of
consulting and applied research for Thomson Reuters and research professor at
the Emory University Rollins School of Public Health. "In a similar way, our
ROI model can be used to forecast how changes in employee health behavior can
affect an organization's future healthcare and productivity-related
expenditures."
Douglas Metz, DC, American Specialty Health chief health services officer,
co-authored the study. "We are pleased that this collaboration between
American Specialty Health and Thomson Reuters has produced an economic model
that demonstrates that employers and health plans can reliably and efficiently
forecast a return on investment for employee health improvement plans," he
said.
The study followed 890 employees enrolled for 12 months in a telephone
coaching program for obesity management. The study measured 11 key health risk
variables, including nutrition, fitness, smoking (current and former), stress,
cholesterol, blood pressure, alcohol abuse, depression, glucose and body
weight. At the end of one year, the study found statistically significant
reductions in seven health risk factors. For example, the study demonstrated
significant decreases in risk prevalence for poor eating habits (21.3%
reduction) and poor physical activity (15.1% reduction). All of the biometric
measures related to overweight and obesity also decreased, including percent
overweight or obese (5.8% reduction), weight (4.5 pounds reduction), and body
mass index (0.9 reduction).
"This study demonstrates that telephone health coaching programs can
reduce key health risk factors that drive up employer health costs, and
further supports our position that these kinds of programs can be powerful
cost containment tools for employers seeking to ratchet down healthcare
expenditures," said George DeVries, chairman and chief executive officer of
American Specialty Health.
About Thomson Reuters
The Healthcare business of Thomson Reuters produces insights, information,
benchmarks and analysis that enable organizations to manage costs, improve
performance and enhance the quality of healthcare. Thomson Reuters is the
world's leading source of intelligent information for businesses and
professionals. We combine industry expertise with innovative technology to
deliver critical information to leading decision makers in the financial,
legal, tax and accounting, scientific, healthcare and media markets, powered
by the world's most trusted news organization. With headquarters in New York
and major operations in London and Eagan, Minnesota, Thomson Reuters employs
more than 50,000 people in 93 countries. Thomson Reuters shares are listed on
the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: TRI); Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: TRI);
London Stock Exchange (LSE: TRIL); and Nasdaq (NASDAQ: TRIN). For more
information, go to www.thomsonreuters.com.
About American Specialty Health
ASH is the nation's leading specialty benefits organization for
complementary health care, providing health benefit, health education, and
affinity network programs to employer groups, trust funds, health plans, and
insurance carriers nationwide. Based in San Diego, California, ASH has over
500 employees and more than 9 million members in benefit programs nationwide.
Its subsidiary, ASH Insurance, is currently licensed or admitted as an insurer
in 42 states and the District of Columbia. For more information about American
Specialty Health, visit ASHCompanies.com.
SOURCE Thomson Reuters

David Wilkins of Thomson Reuters, +1-734-913-3397,
david.wilkins@thomsonreuters.com; or Lisa Freeman of American Specialty
Health, +1-818-597-8453, lisaf@kevinross.net