Gone are the days when you had to walk into a healthcare facility to access healthcare services. Today, you can access these services remotely from any location and at any time, thanks to telehealth for making that possible. Telehealth involves the use of technologies such as mobile devices and computers to access healthcare services remotely.
These technologies change how we stay in touch with healthcare professionals. For example, they allow us to interact with nurses or doctors through chats, phone calls, and video calls to receive the support we need. Telehealth also minimizes the need for spending money to go to healthcare centers unless it is necessary.
For your small business, telehealth can help keep your insurance plan costs low without sacrificing employee satisfaction. Most importantly, it can ensure you continue to attract top-notch talent for your business. Keep in mind that the benefits you provide to employees will determine how long they will stick around and how productive they will be.
With that in mind, are you taking advantage of telehealth?
Benefits of Telehealth
If you are yet to leverage this technology, here are the reasons why it is worth it.
Offers more flexibility
Telehealth connects your employees with a healthcare provider any time they need the support of one. It doesn’t matter whether they need to talk to one early in the morning or late at night. It is always available all day and every day of the year. So, in case they start to feel unwell at night or on Friday, they don’t have to suffer through the weekend or spend a lot of money on an urgent care facility unless the telehealth professional determines it is necessary.
More convenient
You and your employees don’t have to drive to the doctor’s clinic or sit for long hours in the waiting room when using telehealth. Instead, you can comfortably access the proper support from the comfort of your home. You only need to request access to a healthcare provider and focus on other activities as you wait for your turn. That is what makes telehealth super convenient.
Better work-life balance
Telehealth enables visits outside the regular office hours. This gives patients more options to fit visits around their schedule and lifestyle, which means they don’t have to interfere with the regular schedules to talk to a doctor. More options can mean a lot for busy employees, as they don’t have to abandon their jobs to travel to access healthcare services. They can talk to their doctors while at work, for example, during lunchtime or when not occupied. Of course, they can also do that once they get home. It just gives them the flexibility they need to strike a perfect work-life balance.
Improves employee productivity
Sickness results in employee absenteeism, which further dampens their productivity. Each time an employee is out to seek treatment, it means another employee has to step in for them, or the work has to pause temporarily. Considering that an employee can lose up to 9 days a year to sickness, you should avail ways of ensuring your employees don’t spend much time outside of work due to illness.
Telehealth can help you achieve that. It can ensure employees access healthcare services before their conditions get to the point that may require them to spend more days out of the office. Equally, telehealth cuts the need for traveling. Instead, they can talk to their doctors while still at work, allowing them to utilize their productive time well.
Increased job satisfaction
Various studies have shown that employees are more productive when they feel employers genuinely care about them. In addition, 69% of them would work harder if appreciated and recognized. This fact attests that employees love to work in places where they are valued. One way of showing your employees that you value them and their families is by ensuring they can access the best healthcare services. Ensuring they can access the best telehealth services is one way of taking their job satisfaction a notch higher. Best of all, telehealth allows you to do so without spending more.
Reduced costs
About 79% of small business owners worry about health insurance eating up their profits. And with premiums soaring each day, any small business owner has a reason to be worried. Some have even gone to the extent of requesting employees to shoulder a fraction of their health insurance, with others cutting off those benefits entirely.
Asking employees to shoulder more of their insurance policies or even cutting off those benefits may seem like a good idea. However, your business will feel the effect of employee turnover in the long run. This turnover is because you will have a hard time retaining your best talents on such terms. Keep in mind that today, it is more challenging to find candidates who are up to the tasks. Thankfully, with telehealth, you can keep your insurance costs low through better healthcare management.
For example, telehealth can reduce the need for visiting emergency rooms and urgent care, saving more than $1,500 per visit. Now stop for a second and think about how much you can save by shifting to telehealth. A lot of money, right?
Access to extended specialists
Telehealth also ensures your employees have access to extended specialists they would not have access to due to barriers such as long commutes. Through telehealth, medical professionals can refer your employees to visit other health specialists that they may need. That first eliminates the need for traveling and also ensures your employees are back to work within a short period.
The Bottom Line
Telehealth is here to make healthcare services affordable and accessible all day and every day of the year. As a small business, you and your employees can now enjoy the benefits of proper healthcare at more affordable rates, which means you can compete for the best talent and retain them.
RiseWell is here to help you provide big business benefits and small business affordability. Request more information today.