How a New Workplace Healthcare Model Benefits Employees and Employers
The root of Right Treatment – Right Time – Right Provider lies in providing conservative care as early as possible in the injury process. The best way to achieve this is by having an onsite healthcare provider in the workplace as a resource for the employees on staff. By having this resource available to come to the employees’ workstations, employees gain immediate access to the care they need with little to no disruption in the business workflow; as opposed to sending employees to offsite medical facilities when their discomfort is beyond the point that conservative care is most effective.
The three pillars break down into the following:
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- Right Treatment: One of the most effective tools to eliminate the discomfort in the workplace is behavioral change. Whether referring to how employees utilize the tools around them or how they move/position their bodies to interact with their environment – most successful care is rooted in a behavioral change. This factor is amplified in the workplace because at the end of the day, processes need to be completed.
- Right Time: As seen in the visual in Part I, a significant gap may be recognized between the time discomfort sets in and when care is rendered. Additionally, the aforementioned example assumes that discomfort is addressed as soon as it is experienced; whereas, chronic discomfort that accumulates over weeks/months/years is a common complaint in the workforce. By having an onsite, proactive healthcare solution, conservative care can be rendered immediately, rather than 12 to 21 days down the road.
- Right Provider: Traditional occupational medicine models warrant having a Medical Doctor and Registered Nurse(s) onsite. Certain criteria make these professionals imperative, including a site that warrants a high level of practice, case management and occupational exposure risk to name a few. However, to care for musculoskeletal discomfort without Medical Treatment Beyond First Aid as defined by OSHA, Athletic Trainers are the best solution for a qualified professional at a cost-conscious price for employers.
The Right Treatment – Right Time – Right Provider model effectively resolves musculoskeletal discomfort at least 75 percent of the time without the need for Medical Treatment Beyond First Aid. Beyond that, employees who do need Medical Treatment Beyond First Aid return to work quicker, with fewer lost/restricted days and at a lower cost to employers. This solution results in better outcomes for employees at a lower cost for employers.
Interested in learning how this methodology can be applied to help you and your employees?
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