One in three first-time participants in a company-sponsored, lab-based wellness program were not aware they were at high risk for a serious medical condition, according to an article published today in the peer-reviewed journal PLoS ONE.
The study, "Value of Laboratory Tests in Employer-Sponsored Health Risk Assessments for Newly Identifying Health Conditions," conducted by Quest Diagnostics, found that 36 percent of first-time participant in a laboratory-based wellness program first discovered through diagnostic testing that they were at risk of a common chronic condition.
Eighty-nine percent of those found to be at high risk for chronic kidney disease, 59 percent of those found to be at high risk for high cholesterol and 28 percent of those found to be at high risk for diabetes first learned of the health concern through their employer-sponsored lab-based wellness program. The remaining participants discovered to be at high risk for these conditions self-identified their own risk.
"This is exciting research that documents the importance of using health risk data with actual lab results, not just relying on self-reports," said Helen Darling, president and CEO of the National Business Group on Health, in a press release. "Most employers know that helping employees and dependents understand and reduce their risk factors will improve health and quality of life, while also avoiding serious and costly medical problems down the road. These data are compelling because they show that lab-based wellness programs provide medical evidence of serious health risk that individuals really can't ignore."
[See also: CMS announces new obesity screening and counseling benefit; HHS launches $100M in grants to fight chronic disease.]
Further, the study noted that nearly all of the participants were insured, an indication that having health insurance is not a guarantee of detecting potentially costly chronic health problems. According to Quest, the research is the first of its kind to examine the role that a laboratory-based wellness program can have in helping to identify those at high risk for common chronic diseases.
For data analysis, the research used the health risk assessment laboratory results of more than 52,000 first-time wellness participants between 2003 and 2010. The analysis focused on three common health conditions: hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol), diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease. They were chosen because each has a high rate of prevalence in the adult population, as well effective interventional treatments associated with early detection.
"The growing obesity epidemic poses serious health risks to Americans, including dangers associated with heart disease, diabetes and chronic kidney disease," said Harvey W. Kaufman, MD, study author and senior corporate medical director, Quest Diagnostics, in a statement announcing the publication. "As our country works to address this public health crisis, lab-based wellness programs empower individuals with the data they need to face their health risks, change their behaviors and improve their health – and in some cases, dramatically change their prospects for the future."
All three chronic conditions account for more roughly $600 billion in healthcare spending annually and that number is expected to grow as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates nearly one-third of the population will suffer from diabetes by 2050. High cholesterol often leads to heart disease and stroke, the number 1 and number 3 causes of death. In all, the CDC estimates treatment for cardiovascular diseases account for $1 of every $6 spent on healthcare in this country.