What are Biometric Screenings and Why are They Important?
Biometric screenings are short health examinations that can help determine the risk level of a person for certain diseases and medical conditions, as well as help to establish a health baseline. In a recent survey conducted by Well Right, 80% of respondents had been planning on offering biometric screenings as part of their wellness program prior to the pandemic. Now, only 65% of respondents are still planning on doing so. They discovered that roughly 1/3 are simply skipping 2020 and plan to resume screenings next year, however 5% no longer plan on offering screenings at all.
Biometric screenings are a valuable part of any wellness program because they empower employees to understand their modifiable risk factors and help them learn what healthy lifestyle changes need to be made in order to improve their overall health. During a health crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic, though, biometric screenings become invaluable due to their potential to save lives. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, we are learning that people with certain health conditions have a higher risk of COVID-19 and are likely to experience more severe effects. Screening for and early detection of conditions, such as hypertension or increased blood sugar, is incredibly important to the wellbeing of each participant. It could be the motivating factor they need to better protect themselves and start making lifestyle changes to lower their risk for not only those conditions, but also for COVID-19.
Why Our Approach Works
At Health Designs, we take it a step further by combining biometric screenings with health coaching. Research shows that simply asking the right questions can make a person evaluate their own behavior and see where change needs to occur. This is the exact job of our health coaches. HD Core Coach allows individuals to discover what matters to them, what their personal health goals are, and what fosters their own motivation. From there, they receive support in attaining their health improvement goals. With our method of building accountability and providing feedback and encouragement, behavior change, as well as reduced COVID-19 risk is possible.
Safety Procedures During COVID-19
In order to provide the same great experience, achieve long-term results and prioritize everyone’s health and safety, Health Designs has made the following changes to our biometric screening and health coaching process:
- Temperature Checks: All Health Coaches are required to have their temperature checked prior to working any biometric screening event. Any Health Coach with a temperature above 100.4 degrees will be sent home and another team member will supplement.
- Personal Protective Equipment: Health Coaches are required to wear a sleeved cover coat, face mask, face shield, and gloves. We are also requiring all participants to wear masks during the entire screening process.
- Increased Sanitation: We have developed a sanitation protocol for all onsite events. Each station will be fully sanitized between every participant to ensure cleanliness, and any wipes or sprays used will have a minimum of 70% alcohol.
- Social Distancing: We require a minimum of 6 feet between all workstations and proper social distancing will be required throughout the span of the event.
- Mandatory Appointments: All participants are now required to schedule an appointment for their biometric screening. Any walk-ins will be provided instructions on how to schedule an appointment.
- Limited Touch Points: Health Designs will be limiting the number of touchpoints each participant could engage in during the biometric screening process.
For more information on our biometric screening process and HD Core Coach , visit our website!
