Q: What is a Health and Lifestyle Assessment?

A Health and Lifestyle Assessment is a computerized analysis of an individual's risk of disease or health problems. Each employee completes a confidential questionnaire about personal health history, family health history, and habits. The questionnaire covers exercise, nutrition, driving habits, medical history, major life events, stress, workplace safety, regular examinations, preventive measures, etc. From the answers given, each individual receives an assessment of what their risks are when compared to the average person in their age, sex, and race group. No one else sees either the individual's answers or the report. By seeing where an individual's risks are greater than the norm, the individual can make the determination of what areas of their health they can improve and what improvement is potentially possible.

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Q: Is this information confidential and can my employer or insurer use it?

None of the individual's information, answers, past medical history, or present future risks is in any way available to your employer, the insurance company or anyone else. NHS collects the questionnaires, processes the information, seals and returns your individual report directly to the address you provide on the questionnaire. NHS takes all measures necessary to ensure confidentiality. After the answers are entered into the computers and a report is generated for the individual, the questionnaires are destroyed one week (to allow for any corrections or to answer your questions if necessary) after you receive your report.

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Q: What good does this do my employer if they don't get any confidential information?

Your employer has a genuine interest in your well-being as well as in trying to maintain good benefits while controlling costs. By providing you with the opportunity to participate in this process, your employer is confident many will use some of this information in the reports for self-improvements. This will reduce health care claims in the future. Many people will become healthier, happier, and more productive. In addition, some of the group data may indicate specific programs should be put in place to offer support and help to those individuals trying to make a positive lifestyle change. Through these employer-sponsored programs, you may receive (if you choose to participate) peer support and further education about adopting a healthier lifestyle.

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Q: Why is my health anyone else's concern?

Your well-being affects many of the people around you. Your family, your co-workers, your employer, and your friends would all be saddened if you have a major health crisis or, worse yet, die prematurely. Healthy people are generally happier, more productive, and live longer that those who are not healthy. Many studies show that over fifty percent (sometimes as high as 75%) of all causes of illness and/or death are due to lifestyle choices. Wearing seat belts while in a car, getting all the nutrition our bodies need, exercising regularly and taking good care of ourselves through prevention can add many healthy and productive years to our lives.

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Q: How much does this cost?

$19.95

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Q: Do I have to complete the assessment in one sitting?

No. The assessment saves your answers as you work on the questionnaire. If you are part way through the assessment and need to stop, you can simply press the save button and return later to where you left off by clicking on the section links on the left side of the questionnaire page.

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Q: What are the features of Health Risk Appraisals?

• Makes individuals aware of risks to their future good health and their own ability to reduce those risks.
• Motivates individuals to reduce risks, and stimulates their role as a partner in their own health.
• Reduces future health care costs.
• Brings individuals at risk into medical systems before serious health problems arise.
• Provides planning information for employers and health providers.

Q: What are the special features of the Health and Lifestyle Assessment?

• Utilizes statistics in diseases and injuries, mortality research, and other proven data resources to assess hospitalization and absenteeism. This provides more information than merely "health age" and has advanced beyond the current generation of HRAs.
• Forty-four risk factors (health stressors) are analyzed to predict the occurrence probability of 52 health conditions that result in lost work time, hospitalization, and mortality.
• Organization assessment provides prediction of health care costs and potential savings broken down by health stressor. Further measurements calculate the fiscal impact of absenteeism, hospitalization, and replacement workers.
• Personal assessment provides current and achievable health scores indicating the overall probability of being hospitalized or dying prematurely, and a comprehensive "health age." Major health stressors and major diseases/conditions are listed with commentary about the impact of personal actions and lifestyle on future health.
• A composite report summarizes the incidence of each health risk for a group broken down by employment category and sex.