Telehealth has been around a while but it wasn't until the pandemic hit that people clamored for video chats with their healthcare professionals. Telehealth is, for most, an alternative to seeing their primary care physician in their office — mostly for people who cannot travel or live too far away. Most insurance companies now offer telehealth as a benefit, giving employees more options for their healthcare. But what about using telehealth for other purposes than a medical consultation with your primary care physician?  

Keep in mind, telehealth is not a new concept. For decades, telehealth options have been expanding with both healthcare providers and health insurance carriers, that offer a variety solutions from patient portals and nurse hotlines to virtual doctor visits. 

Telehealth appeals to employees who want to see a doctor for non-emergency care from their own homes. The option appeals to employer-sponsored health plans because they want to offer care to members at more affordable prices. 

Many industrial companies have offered telehealth to their workers who are injured on the job. But what many do not realize is that a telehealth visit with a physician still creates a medical claim.  

What if Telehealth Could Be Used Before a Claim is Created? 
Industrial companies throughout the U.S. are spending billions of dollars every year paying insurance to cover workplace injuries.

Every claim that is made helps their insurance premiums go up and up. 

But here's the thing — 69% of those injuries are from pains and strains caused by repetitive and awkward movements (muscles, tendons, ligaments, discs, nerves, etc.) while workers are on the job. 

Major expenses are created for the minor injuries whenever employees visit the ER, near-site clinics or even a primary care physician, creating a costly employer insurance claim. 

Our Virtual Injury Prevention service acts as your company's first line of defense against those expensive claims and recordables.

We are the filter that takes advantage of a walk-up telehealth kiosk, mobile app, or hotline to triage a worker's pain or strain and give expert advice — advice from an industrial athletic trainer, who is an expert in MSDs. 

Without creating a claim. 

In companies without VIP services, a worker in pain during a second or third shift will go to their supervisor. Since most doctors are closed, the supervisor usually sends the worker to the ER or urgent care. Or have them call a nurse hotline (and most RNs are not MSD experts, generally referring them to their doctor... which creates a claim.) 

By having Healthy Roster as a filter, the worker talks directly to the healthcare provider via video. They can be evaluated by the industrial AT and either given a self-care treatment or return to work... all without leaving your facility. 

Do Virtual Injury Prevent Services Create a Return on Investment?
According to the National Safety Council, direct and indirect work injury costs per medically-consulted injuries are $42,000 (includes estimates of wage losses, medical expenses, administrative expenses, and employer costs, but exclude property damage costs except to motor vehicles.)

A Fortune 500 CPG company came to Healthy Roster averaging 2-3 employee walkouts to the ER for their injuries per month. 

They ran a 60 pilot program with us and after that time, they had zero (0) ER medical consultations. At $42k per trip to the ER, they went from 6 potential walkouts to 0, saving them $252,000. 

So there is definitely a quality ROI in injury prevention and triage. 

Interested in learning more on how telehealth can save your company a lot of money, improve worker morale, maintain or even increase productivity, and keep your Workers' Comp premiums lower? Talk to Healthy Roster today.