Process evaluation of a complex intervention for health promotion strategies working from home

Abstract Background Hybrid work models are increasingly common, but evidence-based strategies for health promotion for working from home are still rare. The aim of this study is to implement a complex digital intervention tailored to the specific needs of managers and employees of different companies and to evaluate its feasibility, acceptance and health impact. Methods An intervention with three modules addressing the topics 1) remote leadership, 2) efficient work from home and 3) ergonomics and active breaks is implemented and evaluated in five medium-sized companies using an exploratory cluster-randomized controlled design. The individual modules include different components (i.e., workshops, a workbook, counseling sessions, active breaks, information videos). The intervention group (IG) receives the intervention from Feb-Apr 2025; the waitlisted intervention control group (WG) from Jun-Aug 2025. In the process evaluation, eight implementation outcomes are assessed (e.g., adoption, reach, penetration). Health-related effects are measured via the 8-item Short-Form Health Survey. Data will be collected at three time points: Jan (T1), May (T2), and Sept 2025 (T3). Results In the IG, the average cluster (i.e. department or company) size was 123 potential participants. Adoption: 105 of 308 employees of the IG registered for the intervention (93 for module 2 and 12 for module 3) with full participation. Penetration ranged from 10 % to 54 %. Reach: The intervention engaged employees working from home on average on two days per week at T1 (31.4 %) with high satisfaction regarding their work (72.5 %) and home office setup (62.8 %). At the conference, further implementation outcomes and health-related effects will be presented. Discussion and Conclusions Preliminary results of the process evaluation point to a high acceptance and penetration of the intervention within the companies, highlighting the intervention's practical relevance and overall suitability. Key messages • The complex intervention demonstrated good feasibility and high acceptance among hybrid workers. • Preliminary process evaluation suggests promising reach and penetration across diverse organizational settings.