The HERO Research Agenda

Equity

• Employers as Key Contributors to Advancing Health Equity
• SDOH
• DE&I
• Access to care/condition management
• Technology/Digital therapeutics

HERO is interested in pursuing research that focuses on understanding practices that will advance employer’s efforts to promote health equity. HERO research aims to understand how factors and practices that address diversity, equity and inclusion, social determinants of health, and access to care and condition management may influence HWB outcomes and other key employer metrics.

Workplace Performance

• Small and mid-size business
• Evolving workplace best practices as the “future of work” unfolds
• Key metrics and reporting framework
• Impact of HWB on key business outcomes

HERO is interested in research demonstrating how a comprehensive approach to workforce HWB – including physical, mental, social and financial well-being – advances strategic business performance objectives as well as individual employee performance for employees of all ages, abilities, races, ethnicities, and identities. HERO’s research will be centered on the employer’s role in advancing Lifestyle as Medicine as a foundational driver of whole health. HERO research also focuses on understanding how HWB practices are evolving amid increasingly hybrid, remote, and gig-economy-based environments in which reliance on AI is increasing. Additionally, HERO’s research explores strategies for maximizing the adoption of HWB best practices for small and mid-size organizations.

Mental & Emotional Health

• Burn-out
• Resiliency
• Belonging
• Loneliness/connectedness
• Mental health & well-being

HERO is interested in better understanding how to develop and measure successful HWB strategies that address workplace mental and emotional health. HERO research aims to focus on key and current workplace mental health topics, including post-pandemic mental health, belonging, resiliency, social connectedness, and burn-out.

Sustainability

• How internal and external sustainability efforts impact the organization
• Connect HWB to sustainable development goals
• Overlap of HWB and efforts to mitigate climate change
• Long-term sustainability of HWB initiatives

HERO seeks to advance understanding of how organizations implement internal initiatives and collaborate with community partners to advance workforce HWB alongside broader organizational sustainability efforts that positively influence the enterprise, its people, and the surrounding environment (i.e., to address climate change). This priority also addresses the factors associated with the long-term sustainability of workforce HWB initiatives.

Accomplishing the Research Agenda

The HERO Research Agenda is accomplished through the efforts of the Research Committee, several Study Committees, focused workgroups, the use of the HERO Scorecard, and collaboration with other organizations.

The HERO Research Committee is comprised of the Research Advisory Group (RAG) and the Research Study Subcommittee (RSS). The RAG establishes HERO’s research agenda and priorities, while the RSS provides guidance and oversight of HERO research activities.

Topic-specific study committees and workgroups outside of the Research Committee often influence the scope or direction for HERO research activities by helping members understand what is already known about a given topic and by identifying knowledge and research gaps by conducting surveys, informational interviews or literature reviews; developing definitions and frameworks; and writing reports and case studies.

The visual diagram below describes how these committees work together to advance the HERO Research Agenda. A complete list of research-related publications and reports is available on the HERO website.

Research Development and Implementation Process