title: Promoting Healthy Workplaces by Building Cultures of Health and Applying Strategic Communications.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to identify key success elements of employer-sponsored health promotion (wellness) programs.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted an updated literature review, held discussions with subject matter experts, and visited nine companies with exemplary programs to examine current best and promising practices in workplace health promotion programs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Best practices include establishing a culture of health and using strategic communications. Key elements that contribute to a culture of health are leadership commitment, social and physical environmental support, and employee involvement. Strategic communications are designed to educate, motivate, market offerings, and build trust. They are tailored and targeted, multichanneled, bidirectional, with optimum timing, frequency, and placement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increased efforts are needed to disseminate lessons learned from employers who have built cultures of health and excellent communications strategies and apply these insights more broadly in workplace settings.
authors: Institute for Health and Productivity Studies (Ms Kent, Dr Goetzel, Dr Roemer, and Dr Prasad), Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Washington, DC; Truven Health Analytics (Dr Goetzel), Bethesda, Maryland; and Freelance Writer (Ms Freundlich), New York, New York.
authors: Karen
authors: K
authors: Kent
authors: Ron Z
authors: RZ
authors: Goetzel
authors: Enid C
authors: EC
authors: Roemer
authors: Aishwarya
authors: A
authors: Prasad
authors: Naomi
authors: N
authors: Freundlich
mesh_terms: D003142:Communication; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D016272:Occupational Health; D009786:Occupational Health Services / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration; D015279:Organizational Culture; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D014481:United States