Telehealth is a growing trend that allows employees to access healthcare services from a distance. It can address many health concerns, including mental health issues and chronic illness.
Telehealth and Work from Home
Employers are now including telehealth as a part of their employee benefits packages. Adding this benefit can help reduce absenteeism, improve employee engagement, and boost workplace productivity.
Reduced Commuting Time
For those who live a distance from their place of work, commuting takes up a lot of time. The average commute time is 26 minutes, and if you have to travel during peak traffic times it can add up quickly.
Fortunately, there are ways to cut down on commuting time. For example, telehealth allows you to consult with a healthcare provider from your home or office, without traveling to the clinic or waiting in a public or private waiting room.
This gives you the opportunity to save time and money, while also being able to take better care of yourself. You can eat healthy, sleep well, exercise regularly and spend more time with your family.
In addition, working from home helps employees with busy schedules get more done. This is especially important for workers with a variety of responsibilities, such as childcare or caring for an elderly parent.
More Accessible Care
When a serious health event such as the COVID-19 pandemic strikes, it can cause a huge disruption to our lives. But it can also be a turning point, as the world has to adjust and find ways to keep up with the changes.
Telehealth is one way that healthcare has adapted. As a result, patients are finding that they can receive quality care without the need to travel.
With telehealth, patients can meet with a physician from anywhere in the world. This helps alleviate the stress and anxiety that can come with traveling to medical appointments.
It also helps patients who may not be able to make it to the doctor’s office, due to their mobility issues. They can avoid having to miss work or school. And they can get a quick, easy, and affordable check-up that is just as effective as in-person visits.
Reduced Stress
With so many stressors on employees’ minds, it’s no surprise that they are looking for ways to stay healthy and a way to connect with their families. That’s why telehealth and work from home are becoming popular benefits for employees.
Aside from the obvious mental health benefits of connecting with loved ones and catching up on life events, telehealth also allows you to communicate with doctors quickly and easily. For example, if you have a UTI and want to talk to a doctor about getting it treated, you can text a quick message to your healthcare provider.
With a traditional appointment, you have to find time out of your busy day and travel for an appointment. You may have to arrange childcare and the wait in the waiting room can be agonizingly long. With telehealth, you can chat with your health professional from the comfort of your own home. And because most telehealth services are managed via a central hub, it’s easy for employees to organize appointments that fit around their schedule.
More Convenient
Healthier employees are more likely to come to work on time and avoid presenteeism (when an employee comes to work even when they’re sick). A healthier workforce also has lower healthcare costs, which means higher productivity and a less stressful workplace.
Telehealth is a convenient way for patients to stay healthy, especially if they live in rural or remote areas where it’s difficult to visit a doctor. Telehealth allows them to meet with physicians who don’t live in their community, or to schedule virtual visits with specialists who are based at hospitals in more convenient locations.
Telehealth is growing in popularity, and there are many telehealth job opportunities available for physicians and other healthcare professionals. These jobs allow you to consult with patients remotely via teleconference, email, or secure messaging applications. You can work part- or full-time, depending on your schedule. And if you are a medical practitioner, working from home is now possible without violating AHPRA regulations.