The HERO Employee Health Management (EHM) Best Practices Scorecard is designed to help employers, providers, and other stakeholders learn about and determine EHM best practices. Earlier versions of the Scorecard have been available since 2006. The Scorecard was developed in consultation with authoritative sources on EHM best practices, including The Health Project’s C. Everett Koop National Health Awards criteria, the WELCOA Well Workplace Awards criteria (Platinum level), Partnership for Prevention’s Health Management Initiative Assessment, and the Department of Health and Human Services’ Partnership for Healthy Workforce 2010 (PHW2010) criteria. Selected elements from these sources were considered in the original construction of the Scorecard; however, most Scorecard content originated with the HERO Think Tank Task Force for Metrics. This rigorous development process was continued with the design of the current Scorecard (Version 3.0), which included input and peer review from HERO Think Tank members, Mercer Total Health Management Practice leaders and other national authorities on EHM best practice programs.

How the Scoring System Was Developed

A panel of EHM authorities from a variety of organizations assisted in developing the scores using a consensus-building exercise.  We began with a proposed maximum score of 200.  Each panel member was asked to distribute these 200 points across the six sections of the Scorecard, based on their judgment about the relative importance of each foundational component of a successful EHM program (“successful” was defined as able or likely to improve total health care spend). The maximum section scores were then distributed across the items within each section using the same criteria.  Finally, the maximum item scores were distributed across the individual responses in each item.  The panel members’ scores were aggregated and either the mode or average (mean) score, as appropriate, was used as the final score.

As with previous versions of the Scorecard, the contributors to the V3.0 scoring system engaged in robust debate and discussion. Since there was limited solid research evidence to support or refute the  impact of many individual programmatic elements on health care cost trend, the contributors offered their proposed scores based on the best research and anecdotal evidence available, recognizing that more definitive research will inform ongoing refinement of the relative weighting of the scores. For now, the contributors consider elements with higher weighted scores to be among the more promising  EHM practices but believe these practices can achieve their greatest impact only as part of a comprehensive EHM strategy.

Click to see the maximum scores assigned to each section, item and response in the Scorecard.

Invitation to Contribute Feedback

If you would like to communicate with the HERO Think Tank about this version of the Scorecard, please do so by emailing info@the-hero.org, with ‘Scorecard’ in the subject box. We welcome your reactions, comments, and suggestions for improving the Scorecard, as well as ideas for applications of the Scorecard. All replies will be acknowledged and considered confidential. Thank you!