JOYGYM™ Healthcare Programs

JOYGYM Healthcare programs provide benefits for employees, patients and the organization.

Boosting healthcare worker happiness through positive psychology and Aerobic Laughter therapy can dramatically boost empathy, productivity, improve mindfulness and decision making skills.

A Paradigm Shift in Healthcare

The importance of introducing happiness into healthcare has been championed by Patch Adams.

Studies have shown that happiness speeds healing and various attempts have been made to introduce happiness into healthcare using 'happiness carts', clown doctors and more.

JOYGYM is the first happiness based psychosocial support program that can economically be rolled out an incorporated into healthcare centers and operations.

Evidence Based

JOYGYM programs include ongoing best practice maintenance and monitoring and evaluation to confirm program results.

JOYGYM implementation offers a wide range of benefits:

  Healthcare workers see a rapid increase in happiness and energy, coupled with dramatic decreases in stress, anxiety, depression and burnout. They become more positive, their emotional intelligence increases dramatically,  and they are better able to perform their work.

  Organizations see a happier workplace with less conflict, increased productivity, reduced absenteeism, and better cooperation and teamwork.

  The quality and quantity of care offered increases significantly.

  Patients are happier, more cooperative, and they heal faster.

The Happiness Advantage

JOYGYM implementation in healthcare brings the latest developments in business management - those adopted by some of the most successful companies in history to build employee and customer engagement, productivity and profitability - into the healthcare setting.

We recommend that healthcare organizations consider making use of JOYGYM consulting services to identify systems and procedures that create unhappiness and revise them for even better performance.

A Marketing Advantage

Healthcare organizations implementing JOYGYM programs have the option to be certified "Healing with Happiness" venues.

Licensing is available to provide JOYGYM™ Cancer Coaching, Cardio Coaching, Hypertension Coaching, Diabetes Coaching, and other JOYGYM therapeutic programs. 

JOYGYM™ certification and programs can provide your healthcare organization with a real marketing advantage in today's fiercely competitive healthcare sector.

JOYGYM™ Healthcare Program: Real Results

The section below provides a summary of results from a six month USAID funded study of healthcare workers in a JOYGYM™ 'Healing with Happiness' program in South Africa.

We would like to extend our thanks to USAID/PEPFAR and the HPCA (Hospice and Palliative Care Association) for their support and participation in this program.
 

Program implementation

The JOYGYM 'Healing with Happiness' program started with a one-day intensive training for all primary participants (healthcare workers, managers and support staff).

They were trained to participate in peer-to-peer group therapy sessions and also to provide JOYGYM therapy to downstream participants (patients in their care, families and support groups).

After training they participated in daily 10-15 minute peer-to-peer therapy sessions at the start of each work shift, and started to provide JOYGYM therapy to patients in their care.

The program is normally contracted annually and includes training plus five or more site visits where JOYGYM specialists ensure best practice maintenance and conduct ongoing monitoring and evaluation.

Program results were measured over a six month period using a combination of self report surveys, psychometric measures, and personal and management interviews conducted by JOYGYM HappyMetrics before the program, then repeated after 2 weeks, 2 months, 4 months and 6 months.

Further results were measured by a leading independent test house using the Bar-On Emotional Intelligence scale before the program, then repeated after 2 months and 6 months.

The healthcare organization provided performance measurement data.

Before the program participants reported high levels of stress, depression and burnout.

Just two weeks after program implementation participants were visibly happier and reported increased energy. They were coping much better and depression and burnout were significantly reduced.

Improvements continued, and after two months depression and burnout had disappeared and happiness levels were further increased.

The following results were measured:

  Dramatic increase in self reported levels of happiness, hope and joy.

  Dramatic increases in happiness and decreases in unhappiness in psychometric measures.

  Dramatic increases in general mood, optimism and happiness measured as a subscale of the Bar-On Emotional Intelligence scale.

  Dramatic decreases in self-reported stress, mood swings and depression.

  Dramatic reductions in physical stress indicators including sleep problems, body pain, headaches and migraine, and digestive problems.

  Dramatic reductions in depression in psychometric measures.

  Dramatic increases in stress management and stress tolerance measured as a subscale of the Bar-On Emotional Intelligence scale.

  Significant increases in coping skills confirmed in personal interviews and supervisor interviews.

  Dramatic increases in emotional resilience and the ability to bounce back from severe negative emotional incidents confirmed in personal interviews and supervisor interviews.

  Elimination of widespread burnout and the prevention of further burnout developing confirmed in personal interviews and supervisor interviews.

  Dramatic reductions in personal problems - at program start participants reported that 85% of their worry was home and family related - after two months these worries had largely disappeared - problems with spouse, children and even sexual problems were dramatically reduced.

  Healthcare workers under medication for stress-induced conditions including depression, diabetes, and hypertension regularly report significant improvements in these conditions. In this group the condition of all of those under medication improved to the point where medication was discontinued by their medical practitioners.

Benefits for Organizations

One manager reported that it was as if the entire staff had been replaced by much better staff, but without any firing, hiring and training.

  Significant increases in mindfulness were seen after two weeks with continued increases across the six month period - mindfulness increases charisma and productivity, decreases burnout and accidents, and increases creativity, memory, attention, positive affect, health, and even longevity - it is especially important in people handling medicines and treatment.

  Dramatic increases in adaptability were seen after two months measured as a subscale of the Bar-On Emotional Intelligence scale - this makes introducing new programs and changes much easier.

  Problem solving abilities were initially measured as a cause for concern but after two months had increased dramatically as measured as a subscale of the Bar-On Emotional Intelligence scale.

  Positivity - the quality of being confident, optimistic, and cooperative, an important measure of success - increased by more than 70% in two weeks and maintained this increase over the six month period.

  Dramatic improvement in work relationships was widely reported, with a virtual elimination of workplace conflict, better cooperation and teamwork increased voluntary helping of other staff and knowledge-sharing. In one team conflicts brought to supervisors for resolution reduced by more than 95% drastically reducing the management load. This was  confirmed in personal interviews and supervisor interviews.

  Dramatic increases in emotional intelligence after two months with further increases after six months were measured on the Bar-On Emotional Intelligence scale - this is regarded as the most important indicator of workplace success.

  The following important emotional intelligence subscales showed increases after two months and further increases after six months:

• Interpersonal Intelligence indicating that they are more responsible and dependable individuals with better social skills- they understand, interact, and relate well to others.

• Intrapersonal intelligence, a strong indicator of success indicating they are more in touch with their feelings, feel good about themselves, and feel positive about what they are doing in their lives.

• Self-Regard intelligence, indicating an improved ability to look at and understand oneself, respect and accept oneself, and accept one’s perceived positive and negative aspects as well as one’s limitations and possibilities.

• Social Responsibility indicating an improved ability to demonstrate themselves as co-operative, contributing, and constructive members of their social group.

• Interpersonal Relationships indicating an improved ability to establish and maintain mutually satisfying relationships that are characterized by intimacy and by giving and receiving affection, making work easier and goals more attainable.

The JOYGYM program has been shown to increase both the quality and quantity of care provided:

  Productivity (measured by the number of patient visits per month) increased by 56% comparing the three months prior to program implementation with the first three months of the program.

  Sick leave was reduced by more than 50% when comparing the six months prior to program implementation with the first six months of the program.

  Absenteeism indicators were greatly reduced: days feeling worried by 80%, days feeling sick by 64%, days feeling stressed by 50%, days feeling depressed by 62%.

  Before the program participants were suffering from very high stress levels with widespread depression and burnout: depressed healthcare workers are not easily able to uplift patients. These conditions were quickly reduced and virtually eliminated, resulting in a far better quality of care, with patients soon commenting that they felt so much better after seeing the participants.

Healthcare workers in JOYGYM programs are trained to deliver JOYGYM therapy to patients.

The following patient results were reported by the healthcare workers:

  A powerful positive impact on patients, with rapid improvement in their attitude towards their illness, reduced stress levels (-16%), mood swings (-30%), and depression (-54%) were reported.

  Significant improvements in adherence to medication ascribed changes in patient attitude resulting from the JOYGYM program

  Improved relationship with healthcare workers characterized by significant increases in trust and cooperation.

  Greater patient self care.

  Improved relations with family and friends with improved mood and positivity.

  A few patients initially resisted JOYGYM practice, but with perseverance most came to enjoy and look forward to laughing with healthcare workers.

  Increased attendance at and participation in support groups.

  Patients benefit from enjoying daily cardio and aerobic workouts through laughter therapy, even when confined to bed or a wheelchair. This is know to benefit cardio patients and to speed healing. A recent UK study reported that laughter was the only therapy to speed healing in patients with chronic ulcers.

Please contact us to learn more about the JOYGYM Healing with Happiness program and how it could be implemented at your healthcare organization.