When it comes to employee health and well-being, we know that employers face many obstacles. That is why we work with a variety of partners to help employers provide for the unique needs of their employees. One of these solutions is Quest Diagnostics Health & Wellness, the nation’s leading provider of biometric screenings and related health-improvement solutions, which aims to be a resource for employers, helping to navigate the population health landscape to build a healthier workforce.

Through the Blueprint for Wellness® solution from Quest Diagnostics, employers have access to one of the nation’s largest laboratories, a variety of biometric screening options, and unique health improvement solutions.

Recently, we were able to touch base with Wendi Mader, Executive Director and Commercial Leader at Quest Diagnostics Health & Wellness, to discuss what makes them stand apart from other vendors, and why integrating wellness services from Quest Diagnostics and Castlight is a powerful combination.

Castlight: Biometric screenings are one of the most commonly offered employee benefits. What sets Quest Diagnostics apart?

Wendi: Quest Diagnostics Health & Wellness is an expert in the biometric screening space, screening more than 3.5 million adults and serving over 4,400 employer clients each year. We offer venipuncture and fingerstick onsite screenings, offsite venipuncture screenings at Quest Diagnostics Patient Service Centers (PSCs), Physician Results Forms for screening with a primary care physician, and at-home screening options.

While there are many reasons to choose Quest Diagnostics as your screening provider, there are five main factors that set us apart from other vendors:

• Access to one of the largest laboratory networks trusted by physicians: Quest Diagnostics serves 50 percent of hospitals and physicians in the US, so the results participants receive as part of their Blueprint for Wellness screening are likely to be recognized by physicians as clinical and actionable.
• Offsite screening capability: Participants have access to 2,200 patient screening centers (PSCs) nationwide, including locations in Walmart and Safeway stores, where they can complete their biometric screening at their convenience. While many screening providers also offer remote screening options, Quest being the screening provider and the lab provides quicker results and comparable pricing to onsite screenings. Additionally, one third of American adults use PSCs annually for physician-ordered blood work, so the PSC experience is likely to be familiar and comfortable for participants.
• Expansive testing options: Employers can add additional testing for effective risk identification, including hemoglobin A1c (type 2 diabetes), eGFR (kidney disease), InSure® ONE™ (colorectal cancer), hsCRP (cardiovascular disease) and more.
• A dedicated provider network: Employers have access to a network of 4,300 providers to deliver onsite screenings and flu shots at worksite locations around the nation.
• Personalized participant reporting: Employers can choose unique reporting options to help participants connect the dots between their screening results and other wellness resources available to them through their employee benefits offerings.

Castlight: Employees gain personal health insights from your tests. How do employers benefit from offering your solutions?

Wendi: Employers benefit from screening with Quest Diagnostics Health & Wellness in three main ways:

• Participant privacy and data security is assured: We take privacy and security very seriously. All information obtained in Quest Diagnostics Health & Wellness screenings experience is Protected Health Information (PHI) and is secured in accordance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Security Rule.
• Robust aggregate data is available just after the close of each program: Aggregate reporting provides insights about a population’s health and helps employers see which areas to focus on when planning future wellness initiatives. For example, if elevated fasting glucose or hemoglobin A1c is a common high-risk factor for an employee population, the employer may decide to look into a diabetes prevention program.
• Blueprint for Wellness helps build a healthier workforce, which positively impacts an employer’s bottom line: According to a 2017 study, individuals who participate in Blueprint for Wellness enjoy a 30 percent lower spend on healthcare costs compared to non-participants¹, which contributes to lower healthcare spending for the organization. In fact, the Quest Diagnostics employee health plan team has used Blueprint for Wellness in the past 3 years to move from a 5.7 percent upward trend in healthcare spending to a 1 percent reduction in 2017.

Castlight: While the New Year is a common time for employees to focus on their health, year-long engagement is one of employers’ greatest health benefits concerns. How can employers use Quest to keep employees engaged in their health throughout the year?

Wendi: In addition to personalized reporting options, Quest Diagnostics Health & Wellness offers the following ways to keep employees engaged in their health.

The Physician Health Information Session (PHIS) solution engages employees in their health by giving them the opportunity to ask a board-certified PWNHealth physician questions about their screening results over the phone. During the 15-minute session, the physician can educate the participant about their specific risk factors, provide personalized suggestions for health improvement, and refer the participant to an in-network provider for follow-up care.

Quest Diagnostics also works with partners to offer digital lifestyle coaching. When combined with effective identification through biometric screenings, lifestyle coaching can help reduce the incidence of high-cost chronic conditions within a population.

Castlight: How can employers and their employees benefit from leveraging Quest’s solutions integrated into Castlight’s platform?

Wendi: When the Blueprint for Wellness solution is integrated into the Castlight platform, employee engagement is supercharged. Participants receive health insights from their biometric screening, engage with their results through other Blueprint for Wellness solutions, and are then able to further increase engagement by participating in condition management and lifestyle tracking programs unique to their health risks through the Castlight platform. Hand-in-hand, Quest Diagnostics Health & Wellness and Castlight can help build a healthier workforce and cultivate a culture of wellness for employers big and small.