While telehealth options have become more and more popular throughout the last decade, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a huge surge in telehealth activity. Between March and April of 2021, telehealth plans saw a 41% increase, surging an already steadily growing industry.
With high healthcare costs and a growing public that values low costs, flexibility, and remote options, it looks like telehealth will be here to stay for the foreseeable future. Companies looking to cull together a competitive health benefits package should be considering telehealth options for their employees.
This article will go into everything you need to know about what telehealth is and why you should be including telehealth options in your benefits package today.
What is Telemedicine or Telehealth?
Telehealth, sometimes called telemedicine, refers to the wide scope of remote health care services that are accessed through a myriad of technology outlets. Telehealth technologies include video conferencing, phone calls, internet exchanges, streaming media, and any wireless communications.
While telemedicine refers specifically to remote clinical services, telehealth can include non-clinical services, such as health education resources, professional training, coaching, and wellbeing solutions.
Some leading telehealth companies include:
One thing we’ve learned from the COVID-19 pandemic is that flexibility can be a good thing. Providing employees with more options to receive remote support is a great way to provide the care your employees need while simultaneously keeping up with current trends.
Benefits of Telehealth
There’s a good reason that telehealth plans have been significantly growing in recent years. The ways that industries and organizations operate are changing from the fixed 9-5 model to more flexible structures, and those changes are translating to other facets of life, like healthcare.
Some of the many benefits of telehealth packages include:
- The ability to receive services from home - We continue to find telling testimonials and studies that reveal the popularity of hybrid and remote work settings. A recent Public Sapient study found that 85% of its participants would prefer to work from home at least a few days a week in the future. Couple these trends with remote shopping, remote entertainment services, and remote psychiatric support, and you have a growing base of Americans who prefer to have at-home services at some capacity.
- Convenience of scheduling - Telehealth services offer several scheduling benefits, including the ability to meet multiple specialists during one session or the ability to switch specialists during an appointment with very little resistance. Additionally, patients have the ability to log in to their online provider and see all the available dates and schedules.
- Cost effective - Because providing remote care is cheaper, costs are lower on employers to include telehealth benefits. Health care providers can cut down costs to as much as 64% with a telehealth platform.
- Multiple telehealth services - From life coaching and wellbeing solutions to quality health care and psychiatric support, telehealth services often come with a myriad of healthcare options that are attractive and applicable to a wide array of employees.
- Ease of use - Especially as most telehealth services are moving to mobile apps, the ability for employees to log in to their profile, schedule appointments, manage their existing appointments, and peruse through the series of services offered by their provider is as easy as a few taps.
The public has spoken and their preferences have been heard loud and clear - remote services, hybrid platforms, and flexibility are the future. Whether you’re looking to implement a hybrid work schedule or an all-encompassing benefits program, companies should be strongly considering flexible services like telehealth benefits for their employees.
Grokker offers flexible wellbeing support your employees will love
While you definitely want to provide quality health care to your employees, you can also give them the tools to become empowered through their own health and wellbeing.
With Grokker, your employees will gain access to thousands of wellbeing, fitness, health, nutrition, sleep, and financial wellbeing videos. Grokker’s sleek design and easy-to-use platform allows your employees to track their progress and to benefit from wellbeing incentives and challenges.
Give employees what they want with Grokker’s innovative wellbeing solution today.
