HMRC home :: health management services :: frequently asked questions

Frequently Asked Questions


Who uses your HRA?

Corporate Consortium and customized HRAs.


What is unique about UM-HMRC health management process?

We are interested in keeping healthy people healthy. We believe you must pay attention to your group’s champions; those at low risk, as well as support those at higher risk.

We do this by using our Trend Management System (TMS ™) to identify and prioritize an individual’s risk and by supporting the idea of keeping the low risk population at low risk.

We provide personal, detailed and excellent support in your efforts to evaluate and grow your total health management program.


How do we begin a Health Management Program?

Aim at the total population with a comprehensive program. Begin with our HRA that is delivered by mail, as a self-reported survey with the feedback delivered by return mail or receive the HRA by intranet or internet, as a self-reported survey with an immediate online Profile, our feedback report to the individual. Use our reports to help you strategize and drive your decision making. Give attention to the total group, both the high risk and your champions, the low risk. Provide incentives and follow-up to individual participants. Strive for participation across the total group.


How do we set up an online HRA?

There are various considerations that must be confirmed before a web site may be created. These include, but are not limited to, branding, linkage, authentication, data sharing and disclaimer reviews.


How do we set up a paper HRA?

If there are no customizations, then you can order generic University of Michigan HRA booklets. We will mail them to you along with an HRA processing form which you need to complete with each batch returned to us. This form provides us the company name, delivery method, group summary request and other important information to efficiently process your request. We may also provide you with labeled Business Reply Envelopes so you may allow participants to individually mail their forms to us.


How is your HRA personal report (profile) personalized for each participant?

The paper and web Profiles are tailored to age, gender, risk level, preventive service compliance, resources, and intent to change. The HRA Profile illustrates the top three risks specific to that individual as determined by our exclusive Trend Management System (TMS ™). These are the most important risks that influence the participant’s overall health status and health care utilization over the next one to three years.


How has your HRA been used in ongoing published research?

There have been more than 140 papers published in peer-reviewed journals by UM-HMRC during the last 25 years and about 10 papers per year recently. The HRA has been heavily utilized in those ongoing research activities. Across different research categories such as case study, program evaluation, risk-cost association study, predictive modeling, simulation, and knowledge discovery, the HRA is used as the core technology instrument and assessment tool for study design and analyses.


Can the HRA be customized?

All aspects of the system are customizable. However there are strong considerations regarding data that influence our predictive algorithms which we recommend including. Common printed questionnaire changes include deletion/addition of questions and branding of the questionnaire with a logo. Common profile customizations include specific resources for each risk category, provider-specific preventive service recommendations, and formatting changes. The Web HRA can have condition questions which may direct individuals to questions specific to their previous answers. The Web Profile has additional options including linking to various websites for each risk and expanded health education messages. Further capabilities of the web HRA can include HRA data populating within health management websites.

Other customization options may include but are not limited to: Language modifications, demographic changes such as age, and physician reports. Aggregate reports may also be customized including format and content . We offer the HRA in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese and Australian-culture English. Other versions may be developed as needed.


Is your HRA updated regularly?

Yes. HRA updates are conducted on a regular basis under rigorous evaluation. Algorithms, recommendations and other elements are reviewed including literature review; federal guideline review; morbidity and mortality updates; question by question cost reviews; and, health and productivity drivers. New science and new interests are considered when updating the questions, algorithms and messages.


Describe your confidentiality measures to protect privacy of personal information

All legal issues are the primary responsibilities of the University legal department regarding data sharing, confidentiality and security.

We continue to upgrade our safeguards to ensure secure data exchange. The University of Michigan has high research standards for human subject data and is very sensitive to participant confidentiality and consent.

Security is always a high priority, not only to protect from data or hardware loss, but also to ensure confidentiality.