Wellness At The Workplace
Being healthy has often been associated with the absence of diseases and not the overall state of wellbeing of an employee. Apart from physical health, mental health, for example, has always been an area of neglect for employers. However, with the inception of the pandemic in 2020, employers began to take cognizance of such concerns to provide their employees with a comprehensive wellness program, facilitated mostly through digital technologies like telemedicine.
The restrictions imposed by the coronavirus pandemic led to the mass adoption of telemedicine services due to limited access to care through traditional ways. Realising the criticality of the situation, employers openly embraced telemedicine services to meet the healthcare needs of their employees. In FY2021, the telemedicine market in India stood at $1314.83 million and is expected to reach $5.4 billion by 2025 growing at a CAGR of 31%. As healthcare technologies continue to transform at a rapid pace, the only way for corporates to ensure the optimal wellbeing of their employees is to leverage such technologies and stay on top of their worker fitness quotients.
A Holistic Approach to Wellness with Telemedicine
A recent Towers Watson survey revealed that over 1/3rdof large organisations in the U.S. are presently offering telemedicine and telehealth services to their employees and another 12 per cent of organisations are planning to add such capabilities within the next 2 years. Several organisations in India are also quickly turning to telemedicine capabilities as part of their employee wellness initiatives. Given these developments, it’s clear that telemedicine services hold immense value towards employee wellness amid these changing times, here’s how:
Better Engagement and Treatment
The fact that telemedicine is extremely convenient, makes it a useful tool in increasing employees’ involvement with their health which subsequently leads to improved access to care and management. Apart from helping employees deal with chronic diseases like cardiovascular issues or diabetes and prevent further complications, telemedicine is especially helpful for employees dealing with mental health problems. Mental health has always been a subject of “taboo” and talked about in a “hushed voice” in India. However, telemedicine has not only allowed enhanced access to care but also reduced the stigma attached to seeking care since the interaction happens virtually. Increasing the convenience and choice of employees in getting care, telemedicine goes a long way in encouraging employee trust and engagement.
More Accessibility
Post pandemic, remote working has gained increased significance among employees. Virtual work or work-from-home (WFH) has become the new norm so much so that 82 per cent of employees are preferring WFH according to the latest Talent Tech Outlook 2022 study. For many companies shifting to “full” or “partial” remote working, taking care of their employees’ healthcare needs can become a challenge. This is especially true for employees who reside in rural areas or remote parts of the country. That’s where technology like telemedicine helps remove the issue of accessibility and bring care right inside the home. Some companies are even introducing services that allow employees to talkto conversational AI chatbots regarding any health issue round the clock, enhancing symptom detection, disease identification and care. Telemedicine services offered to employees also increase overall workplace productivity as employees no more need to lose hours on travel and check-up.
Better Lifestyle Choices
Many companies around the world are using the latest wearable fitness trackers to monitor the vital signs of employees along with bodily functions to uncover any hidden disease and prompt them towards lifestyle improvements that can help manage the disease. By using Big Data and analytics, employers are gathering key insights into the health of an employee and getting regular updates. This allows employers to identify critical lifestyle health issues like cholesterol, hypertension, blood glucose levels, anxiety, obesity, potential burnout and stress. Once the issue is tracked, it allows employers to promptly come out with a plan to motivate employees toward better lifestyle habits.
Final Words
Telemedicine brings a win-win situation for both employees and employers. While employees benefit from the convenience, access and confidentiality of care, employers benefit from an overall happy, healthier and motivated workforce. That’s why telemedicine will remain the key to employee wellbeing in 2022 and beyond.
