title: Group purchasing of workplace health promotion services for small employers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Small employers are underserved with workplace health promotion services, so we explored the potential for group purchasing of these services.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted semistructured telephone interviews of member organizations serving small employers, as well as workplace health promotion vendors, in Washington State.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We interviewed 22 employer organizations (chambers of commerce, trade associations, and an insurance trust) and vendors (of fitness facilities, healthy vending machines, fresh produce delivery, weight management services, and tobacco cessation quitlines). Both cautiously supported the idea of group purchasing but felt that small employers' workplace health promotion demand must increase first. Vendors providing off-site services, for example, quitline, found group purchasing more feasible than vendors providing on-site services, for example, produce delivery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Employer member organizations are well-positioned to group purchase workplace health promotion services; vendors are receptive if there is potential profit.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Health Services (Dr Harris, Ms Hammerback, Dr Hannon, and Ms Clegg-Thorp), University of Washington, Seattle; Association of Washington Cities (Ms McDowell), Olympia; and Puget Sound Health Alliance (Mr Katzman and Mr Gallagher), Seattle, Wash.
authors.forename: Jeffrey R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: Kristen R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Hammerback
authors.forename: Peggy A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Hannon
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McDowell
authors.forename: Avi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Katzman
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Clegg-Thorp
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gallagher
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D017754:Group Purchasing; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016272:Occupational Health; D014861:Washington; D017132:Workplace / Q000458:organization & administration*