Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 23, 2026
E-Patient Counseling Trial (E-PACO): Computer Based Education versus Nurse Counseling for Patients to Prepare for Colonoscopy
Published on: August 1, 2019
The effect of Employee Assistance Programs use on healthcare utilization
1Health and Human Resource Economics, Research Triangle Institute, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA.
Objective:
To estimate the effect of Employee Assistance Program (EAP) use on healthcare utilization as measured by health claims.
Data Sources:
A unique data set that combines individual-level information on EAP utilization, demographic information, and health insurance claims from 1991 to 1995 for all employees of a large midwestern employer.
Study Design:
Using "fixed-effect" econometric models that control for unobserved differences between individuals' propensities to use healthcare resources and the EAP, we perform our analyses in two steps. First, for those employees who visited the EAP, we test whether post-EAP claims differ from pre-EAP claims. Second, we combine claims data of individuals who went to an EAP with those of individuals who did not use an EAP to test whether differences in utilization exist between EAP users and nonusers.
Data Collection Methods:
From the EAP we obtained the date of first EAP contact for all employees who used the service, and from the company's human resources department we obtained limited demographic data on all employees. We obtained healthcare utilization claims data on all employees and their dependents from the company's two healthcare plans: a fee-for-service (FFS) plan and a health maintenance organization (HMO) plan.
Principal Findings:
We found that going to an EAP substantially increases both the probability of an alcohol, drug abuse, or mental health (ADM) claim and the number of ADM claims in the same quarter as EAP contact. The increased probability of an ADM claim persists for approximately 11 quarters after the initial contact, while the increased ADM charges persist for approximately six quarters after the initial EAP contact.
Conclusions:
Our results strongly suggest that the EAP is able to identify behavioral and other health problems that may affect workplace performance and prompt EAP users to access ADM and other healthcare. Consistent with the stated goals of many EAPs, including the one examined in this study, this process should improve individuals' health, family functioning, and workplace performance.
Related Concept Videos
01:26Methods Of Healthcare Delivery System
Managed Care System:
The managed care system is designed to control the cost while maintaining the quality of care. The patient's care from admission to discharge is planned by the primary care provider or the case manager, also known as the gatekeeper. In a managed care system, the number of care providers is limited...
01:18Healthcare Agencies I
01:29Issues And Trends In Healthcare Delivery System
Cost Containment
Payment for healthcare services has historically promoted adoption of costly and often unnecessary or inefficient...
01:22Healthcare Associated Infections II: Preventive Measures
The best practices for preventing healthcare-associated infections include hand hygiene, patient risk...
01:17Healthcare Agencies II
Parish nursing is a growing specialty nursing profession that focuses on holistic healthcare, health promotion, and illness prevention. It blends professional nursing practice with a health ministry, focusing on health and healing within the context of a Christian community. Parish nurses serve as health educators, referral sources, and lay...
01:28Self-Help Support Groups
Accessibility and Cost-Effectiveness
One of the primary strengths of self-help...