How Virtual Care Creates a Positive Ripple Effect in the Workplace

It’s that time of year again: when the cooler weather arrives, so does the rise in sudden symptoms around the workplace. Whether it’s coughing, sneezing, or worse, talking to a provider is always the safest way to decide if heading into work is the right move. But, getting in touch with a provider quickly is easier said than done, especially if it’s outside of business hours or you happen to be out of town. That’s where 24/7 virtual care comes in; being able to hop on your phone anywhere within the country and speak to a provider in minutes is an invaluable benefit.  

But the truth is, it’s much more than just convenience. Access to quality virtual care also means that people can feel confident coming to work, because they’re more confident in their health. When people come to work feeling better, they’re happier, more productive, and can work more efficiently with their team. Fostering a culture of health creates a positive ripple effect that echoes throughout the workplace. 

What Can Virtual Care Do for My Workplace? 

This blog will explore how offering great virtual care can help improve productivity, enhance workplace satisfaction, and ultimately result in overall cost savings for the organization. Let’s dive into each of these outcomes and explore how the benefits of virtual care make them possible. 

Picture this: it’s a chilly Monday morning, and someone with an important project deadline just woke up with a sore throat. Their doctor is either still closed or has no appointment times on short notice, so they hop online to see what their symptoms could mean yet still end up unsure what to do next. We’ve all been there.  

The truth is, when employees are unaware if they’re contagious or choose to go to work anyway it can threaten the productivity of the entire workplace. Through speaking to a virtual care provider on demand, someone facing these symptoms could get the guidance and self-care resources they need to help make the right call. By doing so, they can feel more confident about their decision and protect their wellbeing as well as the overall health of their team. When the team is healthier, they come to work ready to be more productive.  

It’s no secret that seeking traditional in-person care can be a major time commitment. Even just the commute to the doctor’s office can be time your people can’t afford to lose. Through quality virtual care, the time commitment of an in-person appointment could turn into a more efficient endeavor from the comfort of home, or even a quiet spot at the workplace if needed. With on-demand access 24/7, getting in touch with a virtual provider should only take minutes; and thanks to electronic health records, these providers can access medical history even for new patients, which helps avoid all the extra paperwork. These factors contribute to a much faster resolution of health issues and help get people back to work faster. 

On a higher level, getting ahead of potential health issues is an important first step in more proactive management of wellbeing. When people are given easier access to a provider, they’re more likely to use it; in fact, a large percentage of people actually prefer virtual providers for routine care. For the rest of the population that prefers in-person care, quality virtual providers utilized in a pinch can still communicate updates to an onsite provider to support the continuation of care. By talking to a provider at the first sign of an issue, underlying concerns can be addressed before they escalate into more serious health problems, which could mitigate the need for an extended leave from work. Overall, virtual care can help your organization avoid increased absenteeism and decreased productivity from preventable illnesses.  

Employees that are offered innovative health benefits, like virtual care, tend to be more satisfied with current and potential future workplaces. Studies show that people are 26% more likely to accept a role based on health and wellness benefits likely because it demonstrates commitment to employee wellbeing.  

This is especially true for organizations with a large number of remote workers. When your entire population can access quality virtual care as they need it, especially those that live in rural areas with less healthcare options, they’ll feel more valued by the employer. Offering equitable care for hybrid or remote employees can also help reduce turnover, as employees who feel cared for at work are 7.4 times more likely to stay.  

Finally, in a workplace where the use of benefits like virtual primary care is normalized and encouraged, there is a unique opportunity to foster a sense of empathy for fellow coworkers. A joint study through the Universities of Pennsylvania and Houston shows that a workforce that is more empathetic to one another is also much more cooperative. This can translate to improved team dynamics on projects and overall increased morale among your workforce. 

When your people are unsure how to handle a sudden health concern, and they can’t get quick enough access to their provider, the next choice is usually urgent care or the emergency room. The problem with these types of care is not only are they costly for both members and the employer, but they may not always be as accessible as needed. Urgent care locations generally close in the evening, and emergency rooms could be an unrealistic distance away for someone in a rural area.  

24/7 virtual care fills in an important gap here by offering an alternative option to more costly forms of care after hours. People can quickly get a professional medical opinion and decide on next steps, whether that’s care from the virtual provider or a referral to an in-person service. This ends up reducing expensive downstream care, and when your people are healthier, you save more. 

Virtual Primary Care at Premise Health 

Virtual primary care at Premise Health can deliver all of the above and more. Through offering great virtual care, organizations can help improve productivity, enhance workplace satisfaction, and ultimately see overall cost savings. With our MyPremiseHealth app, we deliver the same level of clinical quality found at our nationwide onsite and nearsite centers to our 24/7 on demand virtual platform:

Ready to learn more about how virtual care could improve your workplace? Read more about virtual primary care or contact us.