Telemedicine, which became popular during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, is still widely used today. In fact, a 2022 Digital Health Consumer Survey by Rock Health found that 8 in 10 respondents had accessed telemedicine care at some point. Employers can encourage employees to continue or begin to use telehealth services to gain access to quick, convenient and affordable care. This article provides best practices for promoting the use of telehealth services at your organization.
Educate Employees on Telehealth Services
Some employees are creatures of habit, meaning they may not be comfortable using telehealth services simply because they’ve never used or heard of them before.
Although it’s a newer type of health care service, the modern telehealth platforms are generally user-friendly and operate similar to other video call platforms. Once this is explained to employees, they may be more willing to embrace the offering.
Be sure to provide easy-to-understand educational resources to explain what telehealth is, what it should and shouldn’t be used for, and how your health plan treats telehealth services.
Explain the Benefits of Telehealth Services
There are many benefits of telehealth services, which include, but are not limited to:
- Minimized risk to health care workers and patients by limiting exposure to the diseases
- Increased services for chronic patient monitoring, follow-up visits, therapy appointments and post-operative care
- Improved health care outcomes due to increased access to care, particularly for preventive services
- Greater ability for patients to follow shelter-in-place restrictions or suggestions by staying home and away from hospitals, except for emergencies
- Increased convenience due to receiving care in the comfort of your home
- Potentially increased cost savings, depending on the health plan
These are just a few of the benefits of telehealth services, and every employee’s situation will be different.
Communicate Its Role in Staying Healthy
As previously mentioned, telehealth services can help employees stay healthy. Be sure to let employees know that using these services can benefit their health and provide access to convenient care.
