SECAUCUS, N.J. and ORLANDO, Fla., June 23,
2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Employer wellness programs that
combine laboratory and biometric screening with digital behavioral
counseling can significantly reduce employees' risk of developing
chronic conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease,
according to new research from Quest Diagnostics (NYSE: DGX), the
world's leading provider of diagnostic information services. These
data will be presented on Monday, June 25,
2018 at 1 p.m. EDT in a
late-breaker presentation (62-LB) at the 78th American
Diabetes Association's (ADA) Scientific Sessions in
Orlando, Fla.
The analysis examined three years of de-identified laboratory
and biometric test results for at-risk employees and spouses or
partners enrolled in an employer-sponsored wellness program who
also participated in a digital intervention program. Following the
program, one third (32%) of participants whose initial tests
results showed evidence of prediabetes (fasting glucose (FG)
100-125 mg/dL or hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) 5.7-6.4%) or diabetes (FG
≥126mg/dL or HbA1c ≥6.5%), achieved normal blood levels.
Twenty-nine percent of individuals lost five percent or more of
body weight. As well as reductions in levels of FG and HbA1c, other
improvements included a significant drop in triglycerides, a maker
of heart disease risk and a reduction in the ten-year risk of
developing cardiovascular disease.
U.S. employers currently provide health insurance to an
estimated 153 million employees, and absorb most of the associated
costs for employees' care.
"Many employers are eager to implement employee wellness
programs that drive better health and cost outcomes, but are unsure
of how best to achieve these goals. This study demonstrates a
viable two-step solution – identifying people at higher risk using
objective lab and biometric measures and then supporting their
access to programs to modify behaviors and thereby reduce those
risks," said lead researcher Charles E.
Birse, PhD, Scientific Director, Quest Diagnostics.
The cohort of 107 at-risk individuals participated in a 16-week
digital Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) focused on education and
behavior modification offered by Omada Health, a digital behavioral
medicine company focused on chronic disease prevention, through a
collaboration with Quest Diagnostics. In May
2018, Omada Health's Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP)
achieved full recognition status from the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) after meeting rigorous quality and
evidence criteria.
Chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease are major
drivers in year-over-year increases in employee health benefit
costs, which increased 24 percent between 2001 and 2015, and are
estimated to increase up to 6.5 percent in 2018, according to a
2017 analysis by Willis Towers
Watson.
"Workplace wellness programs are the only meaningful interaction
many people have with the healthcare system, but it's the employers
who foot most of the bill for care costs," said Jay Wohlgemuth, MD, senior vice president and
chief medical officer, Quest Diagnostics. "This study demonstrates
that a population management strategy that combines screening with
targeted intervention can meaningfully improve health outcomes and,
ultimately, lower costs for employers and their employees."
Heart disease and diabetes are two of the most prevalent chronic
conditions. According to the CDC, more than 80 million Americans
have pre-diabetes; about 25 percent develop Type 2 diabetes within
five years. Heart disease is responsible for one in four
deaths in the United States.
Quest Diagnostics is a leader in Health and Wellness services
that improve outcomes and costs for employers and their employees.
The company combines data-driven population management based on its
proprietary Blueprint for Wellness® laboratory and biometric
screening with integrated access to intervention providers,
supporting employees' on the continuum of care to better health.
For more information, visit www.QuestForHealth.com.
About Quest Diagnostics
Quest Diagnostics empowers
people to take action to improve health outcomes. Derived from the
world's largest database of clinical lab results, our diagnostic
insights reveal new avenues to identify and treat disease, inspire
healthy behaviors and improve health care management. Quest
annually serves one in three adult Americans and half the
physicians and hospitals in the United
States, and our 45,000 employees understand that, in the
right hands and with the right context, our diagnostic insights can
inspire actions that transform lives. www.QuestDiagnostics.com.
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SOURCE Quest Diagnostics