Improvements in Resilience, Stress, and Somatic Symptoms Following Online Resilience Training: A Dose-Response Effect.

Objective: To determine if participation in an online resilience program impacts resilience, stress, and somatic symptoms.

Methods: Approximately 600 enrollees in the meQuilibrium resilience program received a series of brief, individually prescribed video, and text training modules in a user-friendly format. Regression models tested how time in the program affected change in resilience from baseline and how changes in resilience affected change in stress and reported symptoms.

Health Care Use And Spending Patterns Vary By Wage Level In Employer-Sponsored Plans.

Employees face an increasing financial burden for health services as health care costs increase relative to earnings. Yet little is known about health care utilization patterns relative to employee wages. To better understand this association and the resulting implications, we examined patterns of health care use and spending by wage category during 2014 among 42,936 employees of four self-insured employers enrolled in a private health insurance exchange.

The Positive Effect of Resilience on Stress and Business Outcomes in Difficult Work Environments.

Objective: To examine whether resilience has a protective effect in difficult work environments.

Methods: A survey of 2063 individuals measured individual resilience, stress, burnout, sleep problems, likelihood of depression, job satisfaction, intent to quit, absences, and productivity. It also measured work characteristics: job demands, job influence, and social support.

Validity of a New Patient Engagement Measure: The Altarum Consumer Engagement (ACE) Measure.

Objective: The objective of this study was to report on the validation of new scales [called the Altarum Consumer Engagement (ACE) Measure] that are indicative of an individual's engagement in health and healthcare decisions. The instrument was created to broaden the scope of how engagement is measured and understood, and to update the concept of engagement to include modern information sources, such as online health resources and ratings of providers and patient health.

Methods: Data were collected through an online survey with a US population of 2079 participants.

The association of smoking with medical treatment adherence in the workforce of a large employer.

Purpose: Prior descriptive epidemiology studies have shown that smokers have lower compliance rates with preventive care services and lower chronic medication adherence rates for preventive care services in separate studies. The goal of this study was to perform a more detailed analysis to validate both of these findings for current smokers versus nonsmokers within the benefit-covered population of a large US employer.

Patients And Methods: This study involved the analysis of incurred medical and pharmacy claims for employee and spouse health plan enrollees of a single US-based employer during 2010.

Consumers' understanding of and interest in provider- versus practice-level quality characteristics: findings from a focus group study.

Quality measures are currently reported almost exclusively at the facility level. Forthcoming physician quality data are expected to be reported primarily at the level of the group practice. Little is known about consumers' understanding of and interest in practice-level measures.

Missing variables: how exclusion of human resources policy information confounds research connecting health and business outcomes.

When corporate health researchers examine the effects of health on business outcomes or the effect of health interventions on health and business outcomes, results will necessarily be confounded by the corporate environment(s) in which they are studied. In this research setting, most studies control for factors traditionally identified in public health, such as demographics and health status. Nevertheless, often overlooked is the extent to which company policies can also independently impact health care cost, work attendance, and productivity outcomes.

The relationship between smoking and health care, workers' compensation, and productivity costs for a large employer.

Objective: To quantify and compare employee health- and productivity-related costs for current smokers versus nonsmokers for a large US employer.

Methods: Multivariate regression models were used to compare medical, pharmacy, workers' compensation, and short-term disability costs, self-reported absenteeism, and presenteeism by smoking status. Costs were aggregated over 3 years, from 2008 to 2010.

Direct and indirect costs of women diagnosed with menopause symptoms.

Objective: To quantify employee burden of those diagnosed with menopause symptoms.

Methods: This regression-based study analyzed 2001-to-2010 medical, pharmacy, sick leave, disability, workers' compensation, and productivity data of large US employers. A cohort of employed women with diagnosed menopause symptoms (DMS), aged more than 40 years, were identified using medical claims International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes 627.

Health outcomes and costs among employees with fibromyalgia treated with pregabalin vs. standard of care.

Objective: To compare comorbidities, drug use, benefit costs, absences, medication persistence/adherence between employees with fibromyalgia initiating treatment with pregabalin (PGB) vs. antidepressant Standard of Care ([SOC] amitriptyline, duloxetine, or venlafaxine).

Methods: Retrospective study of 240 adults initiating PGB or SOC after 7/1/2007.

Effect of antihypertensive medication adherence among employees with hypertension.

Objectives: To determine if antihypertensive medication adherence is associated with decreased medical and drug costs, medical service utilization, and work absence days.

Study Design: Retrospective database study using medical, pharmacy, sick leave, short-term and long-term disability, and workers' compensation claims data from multiple large US employers from 2001 to 2008.

Methods: We used medical and pharmacy claims to identify employees with hypertension.

The impact of morbid obesity and bariatric surgery on comorbid conditions: a comprehensive examination of comorbidities in an employed population.

Objective: Find conditions with significantly different prevalence among employees diagnosed with morbid obesity (DMO). Examine the effect of bariatric surgery on the prevalence of all categories of comorbid conditions after surgery.

Methods: This large employer retrospective database analysis used matching to create two cohorts: Those with a DMO and those without.

The association of insulin medication possession ratio, use of insulin glargine, and health benefit costs in employees and spouses with type 2 diabetes.

Objective: Measure the impact of insulin utilization on health costs and absenteeism. Compare outcomes between users of insulin glargine and other insulin.

Methods: Using a large retrospective database, this regression analysis examined annual health costs and absenteeism among employees and spouses with type 2 diabetes who used insulin.

Documenting participation in an employer-sponsored disease management program: selection, exclusion, attrition, and active engagement as possible metrics.

Objective: The objective of this study was to document participation in a large employer-sponsored disease management program.

Methods: This retrospective study tracked participation and attrition rates for asthma, diabetes, coronary heart disease, and congestive heart failure programs over a 4-year period.

Results: Across all four illnesses, only 25% of those identified had any participation.

The association between health risks and medical expenditures in a Japanese corporation.

Purpose: To examine the relationship between health risks and medical care expenditures in an employer setting in Japan.

Design: A cross-sectional, correlational study.

Setting: A large Japanese corporation.

Factors affecting the frequency of value-focused health activities and policies by employers.

Objective: We sought to gather employer perspectives about value-focused activities (VFAs), intentions to make decisions based on value, and other factors affecting decisions.

Methods: Health decision-makers (n = 174), both American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine members and corporate HR/benefits directors, responded to an Internet-based questionnaire.

Results: Of a total of 32 listed VFAs, companies reported, on average, performing 5.

Prevalence of arthritis and associated joint disorders in an employed population and the associated healthcare, sick leave, disability, and workers' compensation benefits cost and productivity loss of employers.

Arthritis is a common condition among the working population in the United States. Despite its high prevalence, the total cost of arthritis from the employer perspective has not been fully evaluated. This study quantifies the employer cost for additional health care, absence, disability, productivity, and workers' compensation costs related to arthritis and associated joint disorders (AJD) for a large sample of employees over 4 years.