 |
NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
|
|
|
NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
|
Assessing your current level of health is an important first step in learning more about your overall health. Once you have identified your health strengths and weaknesses, you will have the necessary information to plan for healthy lifestyle change. Research tells us that healthy people have greater satisfaction with life and healthy employees are more productive on the job. There is no time like the present to begin to learn more about your overall health!
One way to begin is by completing a health risk appraisal (HRA). HRAs are questionnaires that measure your past, current, and family medical history. Reports generated following completion of an HRA provide useful information on positive health care practices and the areas which need some attention. Group and individual reports will provide initial information about changes that you or your organization might need to make. Taking this type of test provides baseline data for later outcomes measurements.
HRAs may be conducted by your health care provider or another outside organization. One of the easiest sources is the internet where a variety of online assessments are available for your use. A few of sources include:
There will be a section within the report you receive which identifies those areas in which you are doing well and the areas in your life that need more attention. You may receive your results in hard copy or via email depending on the type of assessment you completed. You may want to bring those results to your next health care provider visit, or share them with an internal health resource within your company. Your health care provider and/or company health resource may be able to help you obtain assistance in making lifestyle and/or behavioral changes. Looking carefully at those recommendations, and learning more about each area in the "Topics" section of this website, will give you great information with which to start to make healthy lifestyle changes.
Encouraging your employer to formally establish an assessment process within your worksite is a great way to begin addressing the health of the whole work force. Many associations, organizations and vendors exist which can guide you in establishing that type of program and related services.
This article is a NetWellness exclusive. 
Last Reviewed: Nov 01, 2006
|
Elizabeth R. Click, ND, RN, CLE Assistant Professor Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing Case Western Reserve University |
|
|
|
Please note: only your personal physician or other health professional you consult can best advise you on matters of your health based on your medical history, your family medical history, your medication history, and how information from any of these databases may apply to you. Neither University of Cincinnati (NetWellness) nor any party involved in creating, producing or delivering this web site shall be liable for any damages arising out of access to or use of this web site, or any errors or omissions in the content thereof. (More) |