WHEN - Duke University



Issue Summary: As health costs have skyrocketed in recent years, employers have been adjusting cost structures and seeking ways to encourage its members to take more accountability for their own health. Last year, Duke spent more than $116 million on health care claims for its employees and covered dependents. Most employers preach the same sermon about exercising and eating healthier, yet few have had more than a modest impact on modifying behavior or curbing health care costs as a result. The question for employers is: how do you discover the catalyst, which is likely different for every individual, to motivate people to take action? Communication OBJECTIVE(S): Increase the number of people who take action to improve or maintain their health.Increase participation in programs that promote health and wellness.Reduce the cost of health claims as a result of improved health of the workforce.Audience(s): The primary audience includes the 30,500 faculty and staff at Duke, 90 percent of whom have health care coverage through Duke. The audience represents a diverse group in terms of age, race, gender, job types and work locations. Duke workforce ranges from housekeepers and groundskeepers to world-renowned researchers and surgeons. COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES:A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words: Eat right. Exercise. Quit smoking. Too often, improving health is an abstraction that lacks the personal and emotional elements necessary to invoke action. But, the reasons why our health is important surround us – our friends, family, and loved ones, as well as our hobbies, hopes and dreams for the future. With the redesign of its open enrollment materials, HR Communications plans to connect people with the personal and emotional reasons why their health is important, so they take greater accountability for their health. We plan to promote a photo contest where we will ask the question, “If a picture is worth a thousand words, what story would your photo tell?” Participants were asked to include a short description (50 words) that explained how the photo represented why their health was important to them. The photos will become the centerpiece for the redesigned open enrollment materials, which include brochures, posters, table tents, and web sites. The theme of “My Health. My Life.” will reinforce both the personal connection and accountability promoted through the photo contest. The open enrollment materials will feature captions and photos representing employees, friends, family members, vacation trips, and munication MATERIALS: PostcardFlierPosterWebsiteArticleSlideshowOpen Enrollment GuideCalendarKEY MESSAGES:If a picture is worth a thousand words, what story would your photo tell?”EVENT CALENDAR: WHATWHENCONTENT/MESSAGEWHOHR Photo Contest Submissions due July 31Pick contest winner Aug. 3Photos should portray why health is important to faculty & staffOne winner will receive a weekend trip to AshevilleOther submissions will be printed in open enrollment packetHR Communications to organize and arrange (EM)HR Communications to follow-up with contest participants (MC & EM)HR Communications to pick photos for open enrollment packet HR Communications to arrange judging to pick contest winner (PG)Photo Contest PostcardDesigned July 2To printer July 5Mailed by July 16Promote the HR Photo ContestDescribe prizes, including weekend tripEncourage faculty & staff to enter contestHR Communications (PF) to createBenefits to approveHR Communications to send to printerWorking@Duke and INSIDE articles for September issues – Working@Duke Story due to LM: July 30INSIDE:Story due to SW: Aug. 25Duke Today and Entity Newsletters:September and OctoberDatesChangesOptionsHR Communications (EM & PG) to developBenefits to review and approveHR web sitePost article Sept. 4Full site live Sept. 15Health and Dental plan detailsInformation Session scheduleBenefits to provide contentHR Communications to create (GW)Benefits to approveOpen Enrollment Packages mailed to eligible employeesContent to HR Com from Benefits Aug. 3Final content to PF Aug. 10To printer Aug. 24To mail out Sept. 17Delivered Sept. 24 – 28Personal information fact sheetEnrollment GuideBenefits to developHR Communications to design (PF)HR Communications & Benefits to review and approvePosterFinal content to PF Aug. 31To printer Sept. 10Promote open enrollmentEncourage faculty and staff to participateHR Communications (PF) to createBenefits to review and approveTransit posterFinal content to PF Aug. 31To printer Sept. 10Promote open enrollmentEncourage faculty and staff to participateHR Communications to create (PF)Benefits to review and approveTable tentsFinal content to PF Aug. 31To printer Sept. 10Display by Sept. 20Promote open enrollmentEncourage faculty and staff to participateHR Communications to create (PF)Benefits to review and approveSTAT/Blueline memoCreate by Sept. 17Approved by Sept. 24Distribute Oct. 1Reminder message about open enrollment datesHow to enrollHR Communications to develop (EM & PG)Benefits to review and approveSlideshow of photos submitted to HR Photo ContestCreate by Sept. 17Post online Oct. 1Highlight faculty & staff who entered the contest and show why their health is important to themHR Communications (GW) to create and postDuke Prospective Health/Live for Life 2008 CalendarCreate bySend out in Nov./Dec.Provide information on health and wellness events and programs throughout 2008Reinforce the importance of preventive health and encourage greater participation in health management programsEncourage healthy behaviors through photographs HR Communications to create (PF, PG, EM)Benefits, DPH, LFL to approveMeasurement/Assessment: Goal: Increase the number of people who take action to improve or maintain their pletion of health risk assessments: Duke offers employees the opportunity to complete a short questionnaire to help assess their health and potential risks. During the period of the communications project (July – December), 3,494 assessments were completed. This represented a 10 percent increase from the same period the prior year. Participation in open enrollment: The number of people who enrolled or made changes during open enrollment increased from 8,247 in 2006 to 9,271 in 2007, representing an increase of more than 12 percent. The increase help set a record for total enrollment, representing coverage of 90 percent of eligible employees compared to the national average of about 60 percent.Submission of photos: More than 450 photos were submitted by Duke employees within less than a month, which surpassed expectations.Photo contest survey: Participants in the photo contest were surveyed prior to the distribution of open enrollment materials to determine the impact of the contents on their perspectives and behaviors. Ninety-three percent of respondents indicated that the contest encouraged them to think about why their health was important; 91 percent indicted that they were more likely to review the open enrollment materials; and 53 percent said they had already made changes in their behavior or lifestyle to improve their health. Goal: Increase participation in programs that promote health and wellness.Participation in Smoking Cessation Program: increased 49 percent in the last three months of 2007 compared to the previous year.Participation in Run/Walk Program: increased 33 percent in the last three months of 2007 compared to the previous year. Participation in Steps to Health Program: increased 21 percent in the last three months of 2007 compared to the previous year.Participation in Duke Fitness Club: increased 11 percent in the last three months of 2007 compared to the previous year.Goal: Reduce the cost of health claims as a result of improved health of the workforce.Health Costs: While it is difficult to establish a causal relationship between communication and health care costs, there is a strong correlation between the two that does influence the bottom line. Duke’s health plan costs per employee increased from $5,423 in 2006 to a projected $5,640 in 2007. This represents an 8 percent increase compared to the national average of 24% (from $7,498 in 2006 to a projected $7,945 in 2007) during the same period. ................
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