Bedell Woody, Kaszkin-Bettag Marietta
Reformed Church in America, New York, New York, USA.
Altern Ther Health Med. 2010 Jul-Aug;16(4):26-31.
Chronic stress is among the most costly health problems in terms of direct health costs, absenteeism, disability, and performance standards. The Reformed Church in America (RCA) identified stress among its clergy as a major cause of higher-than-average health claims and implemented HeartMath (HM) to help its participants manage stress and increase physiological resilience. The 6-week HM program Revitalize You! was selected for the intervention including the emWave Personal Stress Reliever technology. From 2006 to 2007, completion of a health risk assessment (HRA) provided eligible clergy with the opportunity to participate in the HM program or a lifestyle management program (LSM). Outcomes for that year were assessed with the Stress and Well-being Survey. Of 313 participants who completed the survey, 149 completed the Revitalize You! Program, and 164 completed the LSM. Well-being, stress management, resilience, and emotional vitality were significantly improved in the HM group as compared to the LSM group. In an analysis of the claims costs data for 2007 and 2008, 144 pastors who had participated in the HM program were compared to 343 non-participants (control group). Adjusted medical costs were reduced by 3.8% for HM participants in comparison with an increase of 9.0% for the control group. For the adjusted pharmacy costs, an increase of 7.9% was found compared with an increase of 13.3% for the control group. Total 2008 savings as a result of the HM program are estimated at $585 per participant, yielding a return on investment of 1.95:1. These findings show that HM stress-reduction and coherence-building techniques can reduce health care costs.
就直接医疗成本、旷工、残疾和绩效标准而言，慢性压力是代价最为高昂的健康问题之一。美国归正会（RCA）将神职人员的压力确定为高于平均水平的健康索赔的主要原因，并实施了心能调节技术（HM）来帮助参与者管理压力并提高生理恢复力。为期6周的心能调节技术项目“焕新你！”被选作干预措施，其中包括emWave个人压力缓解技术。2006年至2007年，完成健康风险评估（HRA）为符合条件的神职人员提供了参与心能调节技术项目或生活方式管理项目（LSM）的机会。当年的结果通过压力与幸福感调查进行评估。在完成调查的313名参与者中，149人完成了“焕新你！”项目，164人完成了生活方式管理项目。与生活方式管理项目组相比，心能调节技术组在幸福感、压力管理、恢复力和情绪活力方面有显著改善。在对2007年和2008年的索赔成本数据进行分析时，将144名参与心能调节技术项目的牧师与343名未参与者（对照组）进行了比较。与对照组9.0%的增长相比，心能调节技术项目参与者的调整后医疗成本降低了3.8%。对于调整后的药房成本，心能调节技术项目组增长了7.9%，而对照组增长了13.3%。心能调节技术项目在每个参与者身上带来的2008年总节省估计为585美元，投资回报率为1.95:1。这些研究结果表明，心能调节技术的减压和建立协调一致的技巧可以降低医疗保健成本。
