Care Continuum Alliance, HERO Announce Collaboration to Develop Employee Wellness and Health Management Measures

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Developing reliable, standardized performance measures in worksite wellness and health promotion programs is the goal of a new research collaboration between the Care Continuum Alliance and Health Enhancement Research Organization (HERO).

The groups today announced their joint work on the project, which will identify various domains of program performance, such as clinical, financial and performance outcomes, and recommend measures and standards for assessing each. They said a lack of standardization in program measures and evaluation methods contributed to their decision to launch the project.

"HERO is committed to advancing evidence-based strategies for improving employee health and organizational performance," stated Jerry Noyce, HERO CEO. "Defining standard measures for evaluating program quality and outcomes is essential for identifying best practices and, ultimately, establishing benchmarks and standards. We are pleased to partner with the Care Continuum Alliance in this important work."

"Employers have done much to advance employee health and wellness, but still face obstacles to consistent measurement of program outcomes," Care Continuum Alliance President and CEO Tracey Moorhead said. "We want to give employers best practices for program evaluation. HERO is an ideal and well-respected partner for our work toward that goal."

The project will combine the broad perspective of the Care Continuum Alliance Population Health Management and Engagement Measures work group with the deep employee wellness and health management expertise of the HERO Research committee. A project steering committee and related panels will comprise volunteer experts and staff from each organization. The groups also will leverage prior research in the new project.

The Care Continuum Alliance Outcomes Guidelines project, established in 2006 to build industry consensus around evidence-based outcomes measures for wellness, prevention and health management, will inform the new collaboration with HERO. The Outcomes Guidelines project has produced an annually updated report, now in a fifth volume, on best practices in program evaluation.

# # #

About the Care Continuum Alliance
The Care Continuum Alliance represents more than 200 organizations and individuals and aligns all stakeholders along the continuum of care toward improving the health of populations. Through advocacy, research and education, The Care Continuum Alliance advances population-based strategies to improve care quality and value and to reduce preventable costs and improve quality of life for individuals with and at risk of chronic conditions. Learn more at http://www.carecontinuum.org.

About the Health Enhancement Research Organization
HERO is a national non-profit corporation dedicated to the creation and dissemination of evidence-based employee health management (EHM) research, education and best practices. HERO has developed the HERO database, Think Tank and Scorecard in order to help employers, providers, and stakeholders ascertain the best strategies for advancing the well-being and performance of the nation's workforce. Learn more at www.the-hero.org.