Occupational health programs are working hard to grow—and to prove their value to Leadership. While all markets and organizations differ, we’ve found that the combination of market research and an internal assessment provides the foundation to support success.

Whether yours is a brand-new program or a mature program looking to grow, consider these key elements:

Market Research: This usually consists of quantitative and qualitative information conducted through telephone/fax surveys of employers, focus groups and payer/TPA interviews.

• Conduct research about your customer base, market share and customer desires when building a new program or product/strategy. Conduct updates every two years if you’re in a dynamic market; every four to five years if not.
• Use your employer profiles and sales database to capture ongoing market intelligence that can support market research needs. This information is helpful as you determine market share, product, mix and pricing.
• Analyze the competition. Capture objective data about them and their services. Evaluate your program in terms of differentiation.

Internal Assessment: While capturing information about your target market and customer, also assess your program, product and staff. This focus is especially true when expanding the program or shifting your strategy.

• Review your operations with a checklist. Evaluate staff/patient flow, ease of delivery and compliance with regulations, level of service and product offerings.
• Review your sales and marketing capabilities and staff, comparing desired outcomes with actual performance.
• Determine marketing communication support needs and customer communication and messages.

Strategy: Use your findings to realign your strategy, organizational and staffing model—and develop a grounded business plan. Discuss your ideas with Leadership to ensure alignment for the organization as a whole and to enable product integration where required.

Business Planning: Apply your research findings to your business model, product offering and overall strategy. Develop a business plan and financial pro forma that details the organizational, staffing and product structure as well as the implementation strategy, including operations and sales implementation. Use the business plan with Leadership to gain strategic and capital approval.

Plan Implementation: In most cases, clients will develop work teams around the key projects, operations, budget/tracking, service, staff and training, sales and marketing. These groups can focus on an established timeline and process and optimize their skills for the growth project. Meanwhile, they’ll need to continue to support day-to-day program operations.

Sometimes a program needs help—and you can get a planning partner to work alongside you, do pieces of the project, or do it all. There are times where using an objective partner to assist in this process is a benefit:

• When time is of the essence and your plate’s already full
• When you need an “outside” voice to be heard by your leadership team
• When you need national experience to support your vision
• When you need help analyzing and building the strategy

If you use a partner, select one who will work well with you, your organization and Leadership, and who understands your desired strategy and project outcomes. Don’t sacrifice any of these areas; your partner should be capable in every aspect.

To evaluate the current health of your program, take a look at CHG’s checklist. And for more assistance with occupational health research and planning, contact the CHG team.

Carolyn Merriman is president of Corporate Health Group, a national healthcare consulting firm, and is based in Rhode Island. For additional information, please call 1-888-334-2500 or contact us via the Web.

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