INTEGRATED | WELLNESS SOLUTIONS

About | IWS

The IWS Difference

Please consider this thought: What if you were to market health behavior to employees the same way Coke, McDonald’s or any marketer encourages the purchase or use of their products or services to a consumer? This is the philosophy behind the health interventions employed by Integrated Wellness Solutions (IWS).

IWS interventions are focused specifically on addressing two concepts: self-interest and self-efficacy.  As a result, the IWS approach of behavioral marketing includes an array of material that constitutes a multi-faceted, comprehensive program. For example, an intervention aimed at reducing employee obesity includes print campaigns (e.g., Think Before You Eat™, Move and Burn™) newsletters, health-in-your-pocket guides, posters, postcards, pads, healthy recipes, weekly email messaging, pedometers) and online Intervention (food diary, behavioral exercises, activity guide, nutrition goals, a 1,000-plus article library / resource guide, telephone support, online RD support).  A print campaign combined with an online campaign equals high outcomes and results.

IWS uses a similar approach to tackle issues such as smoking cessation and stress management. All of our programs address several critical elements of successful behavior change: daily habits (lifestyle); physical activity patterns (body); and the psychological, emotional, and behavioral patterns (mind) that influence them. This three-pronged methodology is significantly more comprehensive and effective than traditional interventions and support programs.

IWS products and services are based on years of research, focus groups and experience in the field of tailored behavioral interventions. By combining the expertise and insight of health professionals with our proven, time-tested materials and technologies, Integrated Wellness Solutions produces solutions that are unparalleled in efficacy, outcomes, and customer satisfaction.

Advantages of Working with IWS

• Exclusive dedication to workplace health promotion using proprietary behavioral marketing. We are not  in the business of selling exercise equipment, gym memberships, drugs, supplements, screening or health facilities management.
• Innovative behavior change focus and methodology (nutrition and physical activity, stress management and smoking cessation)
• Outcome-measurable results using validated assessment tools
• Online and offline products and services—integrated, customized communication and support
• Truly effective, striking, and memorable messaging
• First-rate, proprietary content and programming: (e.g., Think Before You Eat, Move and Burn)
• State-of-the-art comprehensive online software
• Research-based, real-world strategies and solutions providing outcome of reduced healthcare costs
• Proven expertise in related fields and disciplines (e.g. public health, public relations, marketing communications, internet publishing and content production, health education, health journalism,  industrial and labor relations, and law)

Enhancing Existing Programs

IWS programs can be used to enhance an existing wellness program or customized to your population's specific needs. You may also choose to outsource some of your in-house processing functions. People have unique approachs to changing behaviors—and it’s important to look at the program and then look at results. Some people fit better with some programs than with others. Most corporate wellness and HR directors appreciate seeing the IWS approach. These innovative and effective programs can be tailored to involve as little or as much material as you believe is necessary to create the desired outcome – so you can implement an IWS program that will not overlap with your existing initiatives.  In fact, we can incorporate existing health promotion campaign logos, and your corporate “look and feel” into any of our collateral or web-based interventions.

Targeting Levels of Readiness

IWS programs are designed to target employees at a range of levels of readiness. This means that while aspects of our campaigns provide those who are ready to make a change easy instruction as to how they can do so, IWS products are specifically designed to engage the employee who hasn’t even considered the need to make a health improvement.

IWS interventions focus on two key areas:  self-interest and self-efficacy. Often, participants need to gain understanding of “why” it is important to change a specific behavior—this is the process of finding the “why.”  Using our proprietary behavior change collateral and online program, participants are able to identify personally-relevant reasons why they want to make a health change.Many times, mployees don’t actually want to change. IWS programs are designed to reach the most unmotivated workers through the process of understanding how previously unconsidered changes might actually end up being attractive.

The second focus is self-efficacy. Once employee identify a sense of self-interest, the next step is to provide the a basis for increasing confidence. When people understand that they want to make a behavioral change, they must believe that they are actually capable of making that change. Again, by using behavioral marketing (posters, postcards, newsletters, email messaging, etc), IWS programming establishes a platform to bolster participants' self-confidence to achieve behavior change. An example of the IWS philosophy involves transforming broad goals – such as losing 30 pounds or quitting smoking altogether – into manageable steps while still maintaining an awareness of the ultimate desired outcome. In order to do this, IWS provides users with two key elements. The first is a series of suggested changes that can have significant impacts and are easy to apply to everyday life.  For example, taking the stairs, parking a little further than necessary, or skipping the butter on bread are all small changes that can contribute to weight loss. These are very specific changes that many people will be able to make immediately without feeling like they’re overhauling their lives. This first part is designed to give participants an immediate sense of power over their lives and their health behaviors.

The second part is teaching participants to come up with the same type of changes on their own. At this stage, the goal is independence and empowerment. Employees begin to understand the way their own small choices can effect significant changes. For example, employees might be asked to think of a high calorie food. Instead of being told to stop eating this item, employees are asked to look for a lower-calorie alternative. This technique empowers participants, which means the changes IWS inspires can truly last a lifetime.

When people can master these two crucial elements – knowing how to find their personal “why” and developing the confidence that they can make a change – success rates increase dramatically. Changes seem not only manageable but appealing and exciting. IWS programs are designed to work with employee so that it is the individuals who make the real changes – not the program.