Earlier this year a new organisation was formed to represent corporate health providers within Australia. This organisation, The Health and Productivity Institute of Australia - HAPIA - (www.hapia.com.au), has members from many major corporate health providers within Australia (including FitSense).

The aim of HAPIA is diverse but includes an important aspect of the delivery of a successful corporate wellness program, that is quality assurance. There are many corporate health providers offering a diverse range of products and services, however the concern is the scientific basis behind many of these. A thorough corporate health program is more than just a gym membership or walking groups at lunchtime, it is a program which offers participants the ability to learn and make changes in their lifestyle. This is best done through the delivery of various one-on-one sessions, including an annual health and fitness assessment. It is services such as these assessments where there is a wide variety of protocols, tests, and equipment used. These variables can have a big impact on quality of the program delivered.

Over the coming year we hope to see the quality assurance recommendations put forward by HAPIA become a standard by which all quality providers of corporate health services follow.