Wellness Program Timing

As they say: “timing is everything.” Use the guidelines below to guide the timing of Wellness Program activities and data collection.

Timing: Wellness Program Start-up
• Consider the optimal time to start a new Corporate Health Promotion Program. Take into account preferences of the target population and other factors that could affect enrollment and participation.
• For example, coordinating the start of an adult weight management initiative with the start of school in August or September may be a good tie-in with a “fresh start.”
• On the other hand, starting an adult weight management initiative In January may not be a great idea because of the constraints that weather may put on exercising outdoors.
• Take advantage of other timing cycles at your company. Planning a marketing blitz just after the PCS turnover has been completed is a good way to let new personnel know what Wellness Program options are available.

Timing: Wellness Program Participant Support
• Consider how frequently Wellness Program sessions should be offered to provide the best support and education for members and the best opportunity for success.
• Get feedback from members regarding what session frequencies work best for them.
• Consider the timing for other support mechanisms like email encouragement. What timing of those messages will benefit members most: Weekly? Bi-monthly? Monthly?

Timing: Wellness Program Data Collection
• Collecting information is an excellent way to track member progress and also to identify potential problems within a Corporate Health Promotion Program. So, give some thought to the frequency and timing of data collection.
• Select metrics that can realistically change during the Wellness Program implementation time period. For example, BMI and weight may not change very much during a 10-week Corporate Health Promotion Program; however, step counts are more likely to noticeably change.
• Some information, such as member responsiveness to out-of-class assignments (like food journals) and other interim data (like step counts) will provide important information needed to “adjust fire” as needed and make Wellness Program changes if something is not working.
• Be flexible regarding data collection frequency. Instead of requiring that members complete an physical fitness log every day, for example, consider asking for a “snapshot” summary from two or three days during the week. You will still get information to review, but members will have an easier time complying with the assignment.

Timing: Wellness Program Follow-up
• Because the we are such a mobile population, it’s best to plan some sort of post-Corporate Health and Wellness Program follow-up data collection within two to four months after the Wellness Program ends.
• You can always try to collect additional follow-up data at 6 or 12 months after Wellness Program completion. However, if you collect the information sooner, you’ll at least have collected some short term Wellness Program impact information before members are lost to follow-up.