How to ensure employers are offering optimal onsite telehealth

As workplaces embrace onsite healthcare, some systems are leveraging the potential of telehealth as a way to provide efficient, cost-saving care to benefits providers, employers, and employees alike.

“Attention employees: On Thursday, a cardiologist will be on call from 2 – 4 pm.” Most of us haven’t gotten an email like this at work, but that may soon be changing, and that’s a good thing. If you’re wondering why, read on.

Many Americans get their health insurance coverage via their employer. Increasingly, companies provide their employees primary care through onsite health clinics. These clinics provide some basic health services that allow employees to consult with a medical provider without having to take time off.

While a step in the right direction, onsite clinics are limited. They are costly, and not all workplaces can afford a nurse or other healthcare provider to staff the clinic full time. Appropriate space must be designated for an onsite health clinic. Time is wasted when nobody utilizes the services of the onsite clinic, with the nurse sitting idle much of the time.

Healthcare providers have come to recognize the benefits of virtual care visits, or telehealth, over traditional onsite approaches. Telehealth enables workplace-based healthcare to fulfill its potential, improving health outcomes and saving resources. But utilization of workplace telehealth remains low, and the care it provides can seem disjointed from other medical care the employee receives. Workplace telehealth must go beyond video to surpass the possibilities of traditional models and actualize goals in a meaningful way.

TytoCare’s TytoClinic is fully enabled with the suite of tools a workplace needs to provide a comprehensive telehealth solution to satisfy employers and employees. It includes a tablet, docking station, and handheld device that can connect with diagnostic tools and attachments that measure employees’ heart, lungs, throat, ears, abdomen, and temperature. Clinicians guide employees through a healthcare exam in which they can collect accurate, high-quality images and audio data, allowing for a quick diagnosis and prescription if needed.

TytoCare’s solution costs less than maintaining a clinician on site while offering broad functionality. It boosts employee productivity by lowering absenteeism. It makes healthcare more accessible to employees and improves outcomes by identifying health issues early on. It also gives health systems a competitive advantage by increasing household awareness of the breadth of services a provider offers.

“Attention employees: This is another reminder that on Thursday, a cardiologist will be on call from 2 – 4 pm.” There’s that email message again, only it makes much more sense now. A cardiologist will be on call with TytoCare, and everyone stands to benefit.

The employee who has been trying for weeks to schedule a cardiologist appointment will have convenient access to one, right from the office. That means not having to take time off of work to travel and wait to see a cardiologist. The employer benefits from reduced absenteeism since the employee didn’t require a full day off of work for the cardiologist visit. Employees are more enthusiastic about the healthcare provided by their employer. They enjoy the satisfaction of knowing that their health is a priority and that they can benefit from easy access to a broad range of caregivers and specialists.

What’s more, by providing early access to see a specialist, telehealth with remote physical exams may improve health outcomes, avoiding possible serious complications had the employee waited to see a cardiologist. Preventive care avoids costly, complex treatments, saving employers time and money in the long run.

The cooperating health system benefits because a satisfied employee may book follow-up visits with the clinician or the health system’s hospital via a referral received during the visit. Even if no follow-up care is needed, the provider has spread awareness of its services and established its good name in the eyes of the employee and their family.

Effective virtual care with TytoCare enables workplaces to serve as a wellness hub, keeping track of patient health and chronic conditions with regular checkups, vaccinations, and preventive screenings. It also empowers employees to choose appropriate care options, lowering the use of urgent care and emergency departments by treating minor illnesses or injuries with lesser interventions.

Several health systems have already implemented TytoCare’s on-demand medical exams for employees. South Carolina’s Prisma Health has deployed digital solutions to increase efficiency while gathering meaningful data analytics. This kind of remote care has allowed Prisma Health to enhance clinical care, streamline processes, and advance disease prevention through earlier diagnosis and treatment.

Michigan-based Henry Ford Health System uses TytoCare to treat employees at companies like General Motors. The platform allows for integration with patients’ electronic medical records, which avoids duplicate services and reduces errors. TytoCare in the workplace has a utilization rate over seven times higher than the industry average. Moreover, hundreds of dollars have been saved per healthcare episode with TytoCare.

Better workplace telehealth improves outcomes for everyone along the healthcare spectrum. Robust, on-demand care through TytoCare allows health systems and employers to offer employees affordable, easy access to preventive care, acute treatment, and wellness programs that will keep them healthier, saving time and money in the long run.