Implementation Of Wellness Programs Research Articles

Perception of Brazilian university professors on socioeconomic, professional and public policy conditions during COVID-19 pandemic

The pandemic of the new coronavirus influenced professors’ social and professional behaviors due to the restrictive measures of social isolation. The study aimed to identify the perception of teachers about the feeling of well-being, socioeconomic conditions, professionals and family relationships in the face of the challenges imposed in the initial period of the Covid-19 pandemic. A total of 340 Brazilian university professors participated. Data collection was carried out using a Google Forms questionnaire, consisting of 23 questions. As for the profile of professors, most were female (56.5%), white (93.5%) and the age group from 50 to 59 years (37%) was more prevalent. Most teachers (54.9%) positively evaluated municipal public policies to face the Covid-19 pandemic. About the feeling of well-being and pleasure of living, more than a third were satisfied, but leisure activities were impaired (66.7%). Regarding family relationships, 68.2% reported satisfaction, as well as the perception that post-pandemic life will be permanently changed (79.7%). The establishment of institutional guidelines for the implementation of wellness programs in the workplace can reduce the health risks and absenteeism of this professional category.

Faculty and Resident Perspectives of the Complexity of Wellness Program Implementation: A Qualitative Exploration.

Developing and implementing a wellness curriculum in a family medicine residency program is a complex process. We developed and implemented a new wellness curriculum in line with the national wellness conversation with a focus on the allocation of dedicated resources, the use of evidence-informed interventions, and the goal to be responsive to the feedback of both residents and residency leadership. Our research aim was to better understand the complexity of wellness curriculum implementation with a focus on identification of challenges to implementation. We developed a wellness program with structured curricular elements initially focused on evidence-informed skill development that iterated after year 1 to include more process-oriented elements. For the years 2016-2019 we collected and analyzed qualitative, open-ended survey questions, anonymous resident curriculum feedback, and faculty observation forms to assess resident and faculty perspectives on the new curriculum. One hundred eighty-three survey invitations were sent with 122 total responses (66.7% response rate). Forty-eight of 56 residents responded to at least one survey. We analyzed responses along with the additional qualitative data that revealed several themes impacting the work of residency wellness curriculum implementation. These included how to manage curricular time, where the locus of control for the curricular content resides, and how residents and faculty differ in their definitions of wellness. We believe programs will be well positioned if they further investigate the complex structures at play that influence residency wellness, including both systemic factors and individual and community level interventions, and design curriculum that is well-defined, includes essential elements, and is informed by resident participation.

Wellness in the Time of COVID: A CERA Follow-up Survey of Program Directors.

Residency program directors (PDs) are tasked with supporting resident well-being, and a 2018-2019 CERA survey found PDs to be generally satisfied with residency wellness curricula. However, less is known about graduate medical education wellness programming following the unprecedented social and public health stressors of 2020. This study aimed to evaluate PDs' satisfaction with wellness programming and perceived changes in wellness program implementation in the context of these factors. An online survey was administered by CERA to the program directors of all ACGME-accredited, US-based family medicine residencies. The survey replicated a 2018 CERA survey and assessed PDs' satisfaction with the wellness curriculum and which wellness curricular elements were currently implemented in the residency. The survey was completed by 263 PDs (42% response rate). There was no difference in total number of wellness curricular elements reported in programs in 2021 (M=9.85) vs 2018 (M=9.57; P=.377). Compared to the 2018 survey, PDs reported increased assessment of resident burnout (P=.02), increased scheduled time for personal needs (P=.002), but decreased scheduled time for interpersonal connection (P=.017). Most PDs reported increased emphasis on wellness and the same or increased access to wellness resources compared to 2018 χ2 indicated no significant difference in PD satisfaction with wellness programming between the two years (P=.84). Despite significant social and public health challenges to curriculum delivery, family medicine PDs did not perceive significant reductions in wellness programming, and in fact reported increases in some specific curricular elements and an overall increased emphasis on well-being. Future studies should explore the factors that facilitate and impede the implementation of wellness programming.

Promoting Culture Change Within Organizations.

Promoting Culture Change Within Organizations.

Wellness Program Implementation in an Academic Radiology Department: Determination of Need, Organizational Buy-in, and Outcomes.

To implement a multifaceted wellness program in an academic radiology department to prevent burnout and to assess initial outcomes with special focus on the challenges related to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. A wellness program was established to address institutional and personal factors of burnout. The program focused on interventions to improve efficiency of practice, provide personal and career support, and create a culture of wellness. The components of the program were designed with input from radiology faculty, and the program was financially supported by the hospital's physician organization. A survey was performed 6 months after the initiation of the program to determine radiologist engagement and satisfaction. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, a new survey was administered to identify needs of faculty and adjust initiatives. This study was exempt from institutional review board approval. The majority of radiologists (79%) agreed or strongly agreed that the wellness program provided opportunities to connect with coworkers. All radiologists agreed that the program was helpful and should be continued. During the COVID-19 pandemic, 49% of physicians requested initiatives focused on well-being, emotional health, and mindfulness to support them during the crisis. The implementation of a faculty wellness program in an academic radiology department addressed institutional and personal factors of burnout, allowed faculty to connect with coworkers, and was found to be helpful by all radiologists. The COVID-19 pandemic shifted needs to well-being and emotional health initiatives. Follow-up data are necessary to assess its effect on burnout reduction.

A qualitative study exploring the implementation determinants of rehabilitation and global wellness programs for orchestral musicians

Objective: To explore the facilitators and barriers to implementation of a pilot workplace rehabilitation and global wellness program for orchestral musicians. Design: Qualitative study comprising focus groups and interviews. Setting: Workplace of conservatory and orchestral musicians and administrators. Participants: Musicians, administrators and a conductor from two professional orchestras; tertiary-level orchestral students and an administrator from a conservatory of music. Interventions: We held four focus groups and two interviews to document the perspectives of the participants concerning the implementation determinants of a pilot workplace rehabilitation and wellness program (exercises and health-related education). Meetings consisted of questions based on the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Thematic content analysis was conducted using this same framework, with subcoding according to the Theoretical Domains Framework. Results: Fourteen musicians and five administrators participated. Results suggest that the implementation determinants for the pilot and future programs rely mainly on the Inner Setting, that is, what musicians refer to as ‘the music world’, specifically cultural elements such as pain beliefs (e.g. no pain no gain) and lack of resources and time (barriers). Characteristics of Individuals such as social influences amongst colleagues and beliefs about the consequences of self-care or lack thereof, and Intervention Characteristics such as complexity can be facilitators or barriers. All emerging themes have an undercurrent that lies in the Inner Setting. Conclusion: Musicians’ culture, currently a barrier, is a crucial determinant of rehabilitation and wellness program implementation in the orchestral musicians’ workplace. A focus on musicians’ workplace environment is necessary to optimise implementation and intervention impacts.

Analysis of a comprehensive wellness program's impact on job satisfaction in the workplace

PurposeThis research study included an examination into the extent that a comprehensive wellness program affects employees' job satisfaction levels. As the leaders of more hospitality organizations implement wellness programs in the workplace, they will want to understand what factors, besides the employees' health, the wellness programs can impact. Survey participants were self-identified employees of the hospitality organization who did or did not participate in the wellness program. Research findings indicated there was a significant difference in extrinsic and intrinsic job satisfaction levels between employees who participated and employees who were nonparticipating in the wellness program.Design/methodology/approachThe population for this study was from a contract foodservice organization that provides facility services to higher education organizations, from their northeast regional location that consisted of approximately 200 employees. The employees of the organization ranged from entry-level positions, up to and including senior-level management. The researcher solicited employees in all departments in the organization to participate in the survey. The company offers a comprehensive wellness program, and all employees in the organization had a choice to participate in the wellness program.FindingsThe intent of the study was to determine if participating in a wellness program affected the employee's job satisfaction levels. Securing a hospitality organization to survey was a challenge, possibly because the survey included questions about job satisfaction. The purpose of the study was to identify whether participation in the wellness program affected employees' extrinsic and intrinsic job satisfaction levels. Hospitality organizations continue to allocate resources to implement and improve existing wellness programs in the workplace. Researchers had not specifically focused on the potential impact a wellness program might have on employee job satisfaction levels. Cyboran and Goldsmith (2012) concluded organization leaders should take steps to create an effective workplace. The study showed that even though hospitality organization leaders are dedicating resources to the development and implementation of wellness programs, participating in the wellness program has an effect on increasing or maintaining current employees' extrinsic and intrinsic job satisfaction levels throughout the organization.Originality/valueThis is the author’s research that was conducted for a dissertation that has been turned into a research article for publication.

Getting It Off the Ground: Key Factors Associated With Implementation of Wellness Programs.

Many residency programs are developing resident wellness curricula to improve resident well-being and to meet Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education guidelines. However, there is limited guidance on preferred curricular components and implementation. We sought to identify how specific driving factors (eg, having an identified wellness champion with a budget and protected time to develop wellness programs) impact implementation of essential elements of a resident wellness curriculum. We surveyed 608 family medicine residency program directors (PDs) in 2018-2019 on available resources for wellness programs, essential wellness elements being implemented, and satisfaction with wellness programming; 251 PDs provided complete responses (42.5% response rate). Linear and logistic regressions were conducted for main analyses. Having an identified wellness champion, protected time, and dedicated budget for wellness were associated with greater implementation of wellness programs and PD satisfaction with wellness programming; of these, funding had the strongest association. Larger programs were implementing more wellness program components. Program setting had no association with implementation. PDs in programs allocating money and/or faculty time can expect more wellness programming and greater satisfaction with how resident well-being is addressed.

Worksite wellness program implementation in county organizations: Exploring strategies for success

Growing research suggests that successful worksite wellness programs (WWPs) can be effective at reducing health costs and improving employee health. While many studies examine factors that contribute to WWP success, these primarily focus on private organizations, or they group public and private organizations together. However, public organizations encounter unique circumstances, generally, so it is important to examine them in their own right when it comes to WWP implementation. This study assesses what factors are important to WWP implementation in county government organizations. Through a conventional content analysis (Hsieh & Shannon, 2005) of interview data collected from 18 county government WWP managers, the results provide support to earlier work regarding strategies for successful WWP implementation. However, the results also add to the literature in several ways. While the importance of leadership support is well-documented, this study finds that marketing and communication strategies, which typically focus on promoting employee participation, can also be used to encourage leadership buy-in. The study also suggests that a dedicated wellness coordinator who has some organizational autonomy to make decisions about the WWP is needed. Further, the study highlights the importance of trust-building as a strategy for WWP development and implementation. Finally, it calls attention to the impact of public perceptions on county governments’ WWPs, an influence unique to county organizations.

34.4 Implementation of Wellness Programs as a Strategy to Reduce Physician Burnout

In recent years, burnout, resiliency, and wellness have become key terms in the medical field, with the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) recently requiring institutions to include guidelines within their curricula to address wellness for trainees. One strategy has been the implementation of wellness programs designed to lower physician burnout and improve mental resiliency.

Organizational Wellness Program Implementation and Evaluation: A Holistic Approach to Improve the Wellbeing of Middle Managers.

: Employee wellness programs can provide benefits to institutions as well as employees and their families. Despite the attempts of some organizations to implement programs that take a holistic approach to improve physical, mental, and social wellness, the most common programs are exclusively comprised of physical and nutritional components. In this study, we implemented a wellness program intervention, including training using a holistic approach to improve the wellbeing of middle managers in several multinational organizations. We included control and experimental groups to measure wellness and teamwork with two repeated measures. Our results indicated that employees receiving the intervention had improved measures of wellness and teamwork. A positive relationship was found between wellness and teamwork in the experimental group when compared with the control group. Taken together, the data suggest that implementation of these programs would provide valuable outcomes for both employees and organizations.

Development and Pilot Test of the Workplace Readiness Questionnaire, a Theory-Based Instrument to Measure Small Workplaces' Readiness to Implement Wellness Programs.

To develop a theory-based questionnaire to assess readiness for change in small workplaces adopting wellness programs. In developing our scale, we first tested items via "think-aloud" interviews. We tested the revised items in a cross-sectional quantitative telephone survey. The study setting comprised small workplaces (20-250 employees) in low-wage industries. Decision-makers representing small workplaces in King County, Washington (think-aloud interviews, n = 9), and the United States (telephone survey, n = 201) served as study subjects. We generated items for each construct in Weiner's theory of organizational readiness for change. We also measured workplace characteristics and current implementation of workplace wellness programs. We assessed reliability by coefficient alpha for each of the readiness questionnaire subscales. We tested the association of all subscales with employers' current implementation of wellness policies, programs, and communications, and conducted a path analysis to test the associations in the theory of organizational readiness to change. Each of the readiness subscales exhibited acceptable internal reliability (coefficient alpha range, .75-.88) and was positively associated with wellness program implementation ( p < .05). The path analysis was consistent with the theory of organizational readiness to change, except change efficacy did not predict change-related effort. We developed a new questionnaire to assess small workplaces' readiness to adopt and implement evidence-based wellness programs. Our findings also provide empirical validation of Weiner's theory of readiness for change.

Governmentality, Biopolitical Control, and a Value Pluralist Perspective of Wellness Programs: Creating Utopian Employees

The craze for wellness programs and the healthism paradigm have led to a need to better understand their complexity and the desired result: the creation of utopian employees. This understanding can benefit from a theoretical discussion of governmentality and biopower that combines the perspectives of employer and employee in the framework of value pluralism. The employer perspective hinges on value monism, which prescribes that healthcare costs must be controlled. Employees would like to be healthy, but may be conflicted by organizational pressures. These pressures are highlighted by the discussion of value pluralism, which includes hierarchical obedience, productivity, fairness, privacy, and economics. The article differentiates utopian and nonutopian employees and discusses the workplace dystopias that can result from the adoption and implementation of wellness programs.

Corporate Wellness Programs: Implementation Challenges in the Modern American Workplace

Being healthy is important for living well and achieving longevity. In the business realm, furthermore, employers want healthy employees, as these workers tend to be more productive, have fewer rates of absenteeism, and use less of their health insurance resources. This article provides an overview of corporate "wellness" efforts in the American workplace and the concomitant challenges which employers will confront in implementing these programs. Consequently, employers and managers must reflect upon wellness policies and objectives, consult with professionals, and discuss the ramifications thereof prior to implementation. The authors herein explore how employers are implementing policies that provide incentives to employees who lead "healthy" lifestyles as well as ones that impose costs on employees who lead "unhealthy" lifestyles. The distinctive contribution of this article is that it proactively explores wellness program implementation challenges and also supplies "best practices" in the modern workplace, so employers can be better prepared when they promulgate wellness policies, and then take practical steps to help their employees become healthier and thereby help to reduce insurance costs. The article, moreover, addresses how wellness policy incentives-in the form of "carrots" as well as penalties-in the form of "sticks" could affect employees, especially "non-healthy" employees, as well as employers, particularly legally. Based on the aforementioned challenges, the authors make practical recommendations for employers and managers, so that they can fashion and implement wellness policies that are deemed to be legal, ethical, and efficacious.

Worksite wellness program implementation: a model of translational effectiveness

Occupational health promotion programs with documented efficacy have not penetrated worksites. Establishing an implementation model would allow focusing on mediating aspects to enhance installation and use of evidence-based occupational wellness interventions. The purpose of the study was to implement an established wellness program in fire departments and define predictors of program exposure/dose to outcomes to define a cross-sectional model of translational effectiveness. The study is a prospective observational study among 12 NW fire departments. Data were collected before and following installation, and findings were used to conduct mediation analysis and develop a translational effectiveness model. Worker age was examined for its impact. Leadership, scheduling/competing demands, and tailoring were confirmed as model components, while organizational climate was not a factor. The established model fit data well (χ (2)(9) = 25.57, CFI = 0.99, RMSEA = 0.05, SRMR = 0.03). Older firefighters, nearing retirement, appeared to have influences that both enhanced and hindered participation. Findings can inform implementation of worksite wellness in fire departments, and the prioritized influences and translational model can be validated and manipulated in these and other settings to more efficiently move health promotion science to service.

Wellness, Hard to Define, Reduces Trend up to 4 Percent

The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify a common language for "wellness" and a correlating health cost trend reduction through incentive-driven prevention and wellness. Mapping the results of the survey with the trend lines reported by innovative employers could uncover increased financial value in health investments. A 10-question survey was designed for telephone interviews with 26 businesses (Innovators) from the Board of the Center for Health Value Innovation; a paper-based survey with the same questions was completed by attendees at a seminar. Then, an online trend survey was conducted with members of the Board (Innovators) to track the total health cost trends in their companies over the past 3-4 years. Responses were compared and analysis of alignment and differences were recorded by graphing. The trend survey results were mapped and tracked with weighted averages. Innovators' responses to the phone survey showed broader definitions of "wellness" than other companies, with little difference in the Innovators' responses when subdivided by size of company. The online trend survey showed that companies that provided incentives for wellness averaged a trend of 4% over the past 3-4 years-approximately 50% of the national trends of 8%-10% over the same time frame. Innovators have defined wellness in ways that would accelerate adoption in the broader business community and drive implementation of wellness programs. The bigger win could be the community-level shift to a culture of health as employees carry these health competencies to the next business in the community.