What Is Biometric Screening?

Biometric screening is becoming a popular method to help individuals become more aware of their health, especially in corporate settings. Many companies feel a sense of duty to the well-being of their employees, and are hiring companies to help assess needs in the workplace. These assessments are often tied with a new company health policy and sometimes include incentives to encourage employees to participate.

But what kind of information is being collected, and how? What are companies doing with this information to benefit their employees?

According to the CDC, a biometric health screening is defined as “the measurement of physical characteristics such as height, weight, body mass index, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, blood glucose, and aerobic fitness tests that can be taken at the work site and used as part of a workplace health assessment to benchmark and evaluate changes in employee health status over time.”

A nurse or phlebotomist comes to the testing location and conducts an intravenous blood draw after the employee has fasted. Finger-pricking is not consistent enough to be relied on for such important health statistics. Typically, the employee is asked to answer questions regarding their behavior and family history. This helps paint a full picture of the individual and any health risks.

The employer can view all of this information in an aggregate setting and get an idea how healthy their average employee is. Because less healthy employees can have a negative effect on the workplace – They often miss more work, are not as productive, and cost more in healthcare – the employer can determine if they need to make cultural changes, such as a wellness program, to encourage better health outcomes. The company can also use this information to determine what healthcare options to provide to their employees.

Employees can take this information and create their own positive outcomes from it. Having access through an employer to this sort of testing can allow a person to get information about their health that they may not otherwise seek. For example, someone who may have high blood pressure could be given an opportunity to get the condition diagnosed and begin preventive care before any true symptoms present themselves. And, while a company may only see the aggregate, an individual employee can take their results and take action (such as a meal plan or new training regimen) to enhance their personal health.

Mobile Biometric Testing Assistance in Chevy Chase, MD, & Beyond

If your company is undertaking a new employee wellness initiative, and that process includes biometric screenings, let Hunt Medical Services come to you! Our mobile laboratory team is available to stop at your facility during business hours, allowing you to screen all your employees at once. Contact us today to schedule your appointment!