October 7, 2021 | Net Health
3 Minute Read
3 Ways OccMed Businesses Can Build Stronger Relationships with Employers
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic and many other changes, the occupational medicine (OccMed) niche has an opportunity to shape healthcare delivery and service, build stronger relationships with employers, and customize programs, protocols, and services to meet their needs.
We believe when OccMed aligns itself as a value-added strategic partner with employers, it helps them to reduce health care costs, creates healthier employees, and increases workforce retention. We offer some suggestions to help OccMed businesses strengthen their relationships with employers to foster healthier employees.
1. Customize Protocols to Specifically Fit Each Client
OccMed businesses can strengthen relationships with employers by customizing protocols for each employer client. This ensures the employer feels valued and helps keep the relationship intact. Customizing protocols for each employer means encouraging them to collaborate in defining service requirements. If an employer wants OccMed to perform a basic physical with specified tests, the protocol can be tailored for that employer.
Employer or employee-specific testing, treatment plans, and billing protocols can also be easily built into the software to increase efficiency and reporting. This way, when employees come in for a service, medical staff can click on that file and see their customized protocols quickly. Tailored treatment plans for each employee reduce confusion and anxiety and smooth the recovery process — creating healthier and happier employees.
2. Develop Early Intervention Programs
Early intervention is one of the most valuable tools to detect potential health risks and identify ways to reduce injuries. Employers are now looking for ways to improve overall employee health and reduce the risk of on-the-job injuries or accidents.1 Being preventive can reduce the medical, financial, and occupational burdens of injury through screening and education.
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” – Benjamin Franklin.
Both physical and mental health are factors in maintaining employee health. Mental health is one of the most important indicators of employee health status and can impact the employee’s ability to safely and productively contribute to your organization. By educating and working with employers to develop early intervention programs, employers improve their workforce’s overall health.
Early intervention can involve screening forms and tools such as “flags” that rapidly identify physical and psychosocial risk factors and potential needs for intervention in the workplace. This ensures quick intervention and improved outcomes in workplace injuries.2 Creating early intervention programs that have same-day or next-day access, like an onsite physical therapy clinic, contribute to cases being treated to resolution without needing a referral to a provider; in some cases, up to 96% were treated to resolution.3
3. Strengthen and Grow Communities Faster
In our market, 63% of the population receives their health care through an employer health plan.4 But did you know that companies that use OccMed services grow faster in the community? Communities have a chance to strengthen and grow when employers and their employees are healthy and prosperous. It gives community members an incentive to join the workforce.
This has a positive impact on attracting more employees to join local OccMed businesses, helping them grow faster in the community. Working closely with employers helps build and sustain vibrant, strong communities.
Bottom line? Creating customized protocols and developing early intervention programs strengthens your community, increases employee engagement and productivity, and boosts employees’ overall well-being.
Discover how Net Health® Occupational Medicine can help your OccMed business build stronger employer relationships that boost employee health and well-being.
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Footnotes:
1 Visions, NAOHP “The Internal Sell” – How to Justify Your Occupational Medicine Program to Your C-Suites,” Winter 2020, P.4
2 Visions, NAOHP “The Internal Sell” – How to Justify Your Occupational Medicine Program to Your C-Suites,” Winter 2020, P.8
3 Visions, NAOHP “The Internal Sell” – How to Justify Your Occupational Medicine Program to Your C-Suites,” Winter 2020, P. 5
4 Visions, NAOHP “The Internal Sell” – How to Justify Your Occupational Medicine Program to Your C-Suites,” Winter 2020, P. 5
