Telemedicine Benefits are Rising in Popularity
Telemedicine benefits have not yet demonstrated positive results. Telemedicine benefits do not yet seem to rank high on employees’ radar. Perks like sabbaticals, flexible work schedules, and student loan assistance are all perceived to be valuable benefits by employees. Telemedicine, not so much.
A recent Employee Benefit News (EBN) article, cites new research from Mercer. The perception is that busy employees would embrace telemedicine, because it makes it easier for them to get routine care, such as flu shots and annual screenings. But Mercer found that isn’t the case. Just 8% of employees at large companies sign up for telemedicine benefits, Mercer reports. That’s contrary to employers’ expectations, it turns out. Employers expect workers to embrace telemedicine benefits, and they are befuddled by the underwhelming interest, noted Neal Schoenbach, who penned the article for EBN. Mr. Shoenbach is vice president of business development and virtual care strategy at Scottsdale, AZ-based telemedicine provider GlobalMed.
Telemedicine platforms offer employees the opportunity to see a doctor remotely instead of going to their office. The visits typically take place using virtual technology, such as video-conferencing tools. Doctors can use telemedicine platforms to diagnose a number of health conditions without having to sit in the same room as the patient. This can help when assessing colds, flu, allergies, rashes or sprains and strains. Another benefit of telemedicine: Employees don’t have to drive to the doctor’s office or wait, sometimes up to an hour or more, to see a physician in person. As such, telemedicine seems like the perfect solution to employees’ increasingly busy lives.
So why aren’t more employees comfortable with telemedicine? One reason: it limits the doctors they can see. Many companies offer telemedicine benefits via a dedicated direct-to-consumer app. The telemedicine app requires employees to visit doctors that are in the app provider’s network. Oftentimes, employees aren’t able to see their own doctors, and they’re forced to go to one that isn’t familiar with their history. As such, many choose to drive to their doctor’s physical office and wait an average of 30 to 45 minutes to be seen as opposed to taking advantage of the telemedicine benefits offered by their employer, Mr. Schoenbach explained.
In addition, many employees lack awareness of their telemedicine benefits. When choosing benefits during open enrollment, employees tend to focus on information about deductibles, co-pays, medication coverage and whether their doctor is in their provider network. They forget about everything else. Even employees at companies that offer on-site clinics may not be aware of the accompanying telemedicine benefits.
That said, once they are aware that it exists, employees are amenable to adopting telemedicine benefits. Mr. Schoenbach offered three recommendations for employers to increase employees’ engagement with telemedicine benefits:
- Offer consistent and familiar healthcare providers: Employees should have the opportunity to visit healthcare providers they already know. That means offering a telemedicine platform with a “provider-agnostic platform that includes hardware, software and connective devices for complete clinical exams.” Employers might also consider creating a dedicated space where employees can seek telemedicine appointments at work.
- Connect telemedicine benefits to employee needs: Explain telemedicine benefits in language employees can understand. For example, “Instead of suffering through a sinus infection, employees can be prescribed medication and pick it up on their way home from work. They can talk to a behavioral health counselor via phone or video, manage chronic conditions with primary care providers or see specialists who aren’t locally available.”
- When possible, address worker’s compensation concerns virtually: Not all cases will lend themselves to telemedicine opportunities, but a remote provider can recommend treatment, work restrictions or referrals for muscle strains or chemical burns, for example. At Company Nurse, a nationwide nurse triage service for workplace injuries, they found that 40% of the workplace injuries that they triage can be addressed with self-care advice. That results in reduced medical costs, and employees being able to get back on the job faster. Telemedicine can also be used for follow-up appointments.
According to Mr. Shoenbach, “Employees may need a helping hand to engage with workplace telemedicine programs. It’s not just a simple matter of increasing visibility and keeping telehealth programs top of mind. The key is offering a virtual care solution that strengthens existing patient-doctor relationships.”
Does your organization offer a telemedicine benefit? Does it offer your employees the opportunity to see doctors with whom they are already familiar? If not, it may be worth taking another look at your existing telemedicine platform and making appropriate adjustments to increase employee engagement.
