DENVER, Colo. — IncentaHEALTH LLC, a Denver-based provider of corporate wellness programs, today announced that the U.S. Patent Office has awarded a patent to the company's health screening kiosk system and methods.
The patent (U.S. Patent No. 7,541,547) relates to some features of incentaHEALTH's private wellness kiosk that allow companies to offer health coaching programs to their employees and dependents. The kiosk enables users to privately weigh in, taking both a weight measurement and a photo of the user.
"The HEALTHspot kiosk is an integral part of our program to reduce employers' healthcare costs," said Todd McGuire, chief technology officer for incentaHEALTH. "Sadly, two out of three American adults are either overweight or obese. These conditions are a primary driver of healthcare costs. IncentaHEALTH provides a technology-based behavior change program to help employees improve their lifestyle through daily email coaching and incentives. This new technology transforms the way we can deliver evidence-based wellness programs. Based on this verified measurement of success, incentaHEALTH can pay incentives that reinforce lasting changes in an employee's habits regarding physical activity and nutrition."
Every three months, participants enter a private room to automatically record their weight and photo by logging into the kiosk and stepping on the scale. The participant's current weight and photo appear on the HEALTHspot kiosk display for review. Once confirmed by the participant, the information is encrypted and transmitted to the incentaHEALTH data center for secure archival.
Since the kiosk is Internet-enabled, participants can see their progress in real time. The results are only accessible by the participating employee. The employer never sees individual participant results. This private weigh-in takes approximately 45 seconds, and the HEALTHspot kiosk is available for use 24 hours per day, 365 days per year.
By participating in the incentaHEALTH wellness program, participants receive daily e-mail instruction on proper nutrition and exercise, targeted to the specific barriers and motivators of each participant. The emails also contain video instructions for performing each day's recommended exercises, as well as a comprehensive set of meal ideas.
Every 90 days, participating employees return to the HEALTHspot kiosk to track their performance. They receive a cash incentive from incentaHEALTH based on the percentage improvement in their weight (BMI). Participants can earn incentives for the entire duration of the year-long program if they maintain their success at each screening.
