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Early findings from the first study of Colorado wellness programs “reveal reductions in health risks in workers receiving wellness services. The study is charged with determining the impact of wellness programs on health risks, productivity and workers’ compensation costs.”

“The study, which is examining worksites using Pinnacol Assurance’s Health Risk Management program, shows that program participants have experienced a 25 percent drop in cancer risk, a 35 percent decline in smoking rates and a 25 percent reduction in depression risk in just three years.”

Said study director Karen Curran: “We’re seeing improvements in health throughout Colorado and for businesses of all sizes. While we’ve known the impact wellness programs have had on large organizations, these results show that wellness programs also work extremely well for small businesses. While the study has shown that wellness programs have reduced health risks and improved productivity, data on workers’ compensation costs is not yet available because researchers are still gathering a critical mass of claims information.”

Key finding: “Participants in the Health Risk Management program have also decreased stress risks by 23 percent and have shown double-digit improvements in fitness and nutrition levels. Researchers have seen a decline in almost all chronic condition groups as well as a 12.5 percent decrease in the number of participants with three or more chronic conditions.”