Home / Blog / Why Hospitals Are Built to Be the Best Adopters of Employee Sponsored Virtual Healthcare
It’s the number that has been heard around the telemedicine world, by 2018 90% of large organizations are expected to be deploying telemedicine to employees. This well-known rate of adoption is predicted to lower healthcare costs for U.S. employers by as much as $6 billion annually, according to a Willis Towers Watson analysis.
The process of getting to that level of cost savings across all organizations has been delayed due to slow adoption of the service among employees. Many barriers exist including cost per visit, poor choice of provider platform, lack of communication about the program and how to use, among others. Often employees who don’t work in the healthcare industry have a hard time understanding which medical conditions are best treated via telemedicine versus in-person, which is why a hospital employee telemedicine program is built to likely be in the lead of being more successful than the average employee sponsored program.
Inherently, those who are immersed in providing services related to a healthcare offering have a better understanding of healthcare and treatments provided. Leaders in healthcare organizations have a better understanding of how to communicate key information to any kind of staff member whether it be a registered nurse or a food service provider, automatically increasing the chances that the utilization rate will be higher.
RelyMD offers telemedicine service to organizations in every kind of industry and month after month our hospital and health system clients are seeing an average utilization rate of 14.8% compared to the national average of just 5%.
Communication is Key
With so many different areas of service in hospitals and health systems, they must be already well versed in providing important information to many workers, this creates an easy way to add an additional benefit that is communicated efficiently. Employees not only know about the service but also know how to use and when.
Healthcare Sponsored by Healthcare Offers Assurance
Trust is a big name of the healthcare game. Hospitals and health systems know good care when they see it. Selecting a telemedicine provider is no easy task but as a provider of healthcare services, but these organizations are experienced know what to look for. Employees can easily trust that the hospital they work for is supplying them with a trustworthy vendor staffed by top-notch physicians. This allows workers to trust the accuracy and reliability of a new service being offered by their employer.
On-Site Clinics Help Alleviate Technology Woes
While virtual health is available in a myriad of channels (mobile app, computer, telephone), another way to access a telemedicine provider is via an on-site clinic provided by an employer. A staff member can access a computer or tablet already set up with the necessary mobile application or required computer software in a private setting. Especially helpful for those not technologically advanced, employees can use the service without needing to use their own device for care. Most small employers don’t have the resources to have a private room available for this service alone, but hospitals and healthcare organizations may have room to spare. Communicating the way to install and access a new technology can be hard, this channel helps alleviate the pressure of communicating minute details and helps deter from technological issues that arise when a patient is left on their own to figure out a new application or video component.
Odd Hours Create a Need for 24/7 Healthcare
Hospitals and health systems are also one of the only organizations who must employ nearly every level of worker, and they’re working around the clock. Late shifts can wreak havoc in an employee’s off-hours schedule and can make receiving healthcare a difficult task, even routine care can be hard to come by during off-hours and weekends. These difficulties are multiplied for employees with families and/or small children. Staff members who are on shifts that fall on odd hours are often required to request PTO to seek healthcare, limiting its use for time with family and highly deserved time off. Hospital employee telemedicine programs are available at any time of the day or night and provide immediate access to healthcare no matter where the team member is located.
Confirm or Provide New Diagnoses for Experienced Medical Staff
Nurses and physicians who treat patients daily can often easily diagnose themselves and/or their family members, but need an actual diagnosis to receive required treatment or prescriptions. This allows them to easily access a physician who can confirm or provide an updated diagnosis and allows them to seek appropriate treatment quickly.
August 21, 2017
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