BIOMETRIC
10 years ago, there have been decreases in metabolic syndrome and other elevated risk factors among Nationwide Children’s employees, results that, DuBro noted, could be attributed to a number of factors.
As for benefits to employers, she said, health- care costs go down if a disease such as diabetes never fully develops.
But the financial benefits don’t come quickly, Wendorff noted. Though positive return on investment might be seen in the short run because of fewer employee absences, the dollar savings come over years, not months.
“This really is an indication to your colleagues that you’re in it for the long run with them,” he said.
But with other sites offering the screenings, you don’t necessarily need a participating employer to get results.
At Kroger, through a partnership with the Ohio State University College of Pharmacy, screenings are offered free on Friday evenings from mid-August to mid-April at four locations in lower- income Columbus neighborhoods.
The program has served about 2,000 people since 2011, and some are referred to Kroger’s The Little Clinic or to clinics that offer federally funded health care, said Ben Newell, a Kroger pharmacy intern.
At 614Fitness, screenings are included in memberships and can be paired with screenings that test flexibility and strength, Hofstetter said.
Members use numbers to compete with themselves, striving to improve their numbers over time.
“Those things make us feel like, ‘ I’m in control of this, it’s not hopeless,’” he said. Registered nurse Katrina Burton explains the results of a biometric screening to employee Gina Bericchia at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. A finger stick during a biometric screening can allow medical personnel to measure glucose and cholesterol levels.