Workplace screening programs for chronic disease prevention

Workplace screening programs for chronic disease prevention : a rapid review has just been published by Bill Bellew and others at the University of Sydney for the Sax Institute.  The authors used evidence retrieved from the main databases of biomedical and health economic literature published to March 2012, supplemented with relevant reports and they found strong evidence of effectiveness of HRAs (when used in combination with other interventions) in relation to tobacco use, alcohol use, dietary fat intake, blood pressure and cholesterol.  They also found sufficient evidence for worksite programs to control weight issues.  They concluded that these programs had a favourable impact on the use of healthcare services and financial return for the employer.