What Is a Biometric Health Screening?
Biometric screens are short-form physical assessments that track a small number of significant indicators of a person's overall health. Often offered as part of an employer-sponsored wellness benefit program because they help reduce a company's overall health-coverage costs, biometric health screens are growing in popularity, although they do not substitute for appropriate care by a licensed physician.
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Purpose
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A biometric health screen is intended to provide a patient with a simple scorecard of the leading indicators of overall health. This scorecard has two purposes. First, it gives the patient an early warning and a chance for follow-up by a nurse, about any emerging medical problems. Second, it sets a baseline of health that allows a business or insurance company to determine whether behavioral changes (often part of an incentive package) led to measurable improvements in any of those indicators.
Items Screened
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Each screening is different. In general, however, a person's height, weight, blood pressure, total cholesterol and triglycerides are scored by a nurse. Many assessments include self-reported scores related to smoking and dietary choices. More advanced screenings may include a measure of cardiopulmonary function, including the heart rate after a certain amount of aerobic exercise.
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Health Assessments
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After each indicator is measured, a nurse may provide an overall score or assessment based on the results. Some incentive programs require a minimum number of indicators being "in the green" or provide a statistically significant level of improvement over the course of a year in order to qualify for a benefit. Some assessments may include a recommendation to seek treatment from a physician because of a very high level of blood pressure or cholesterol.
Business Benefits
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Businesses are embracing employee wellness programs on the theory that promoting a healthier workforce will reduce employee use of health benefits. This lower overall utilization will translate into lower group-premium rates that the employer is liable to cover. By providing up-front incentives to live a healthier lifestyle, an employee may be able to avert behaviorally induced medical conditions later in life that are costly to the employer as well as the employee.
Health Benefits
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The major health benefit to employees is that they are provided, usually at no cost, an overview of their major medical indicators by a trained clinical professional. Some employees fail to get routine health screenings by their doctors, so a biometric health screening may be the first warning they get that they are in the early stages of a potential health problem.
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References
- Photo Credit diet and health image by Photoeyes from Fotolia.com
