How employees Mental Health and well-being can be addressed via Tele-medicine - Learnings from COVID

We are all gearing up for the post-covid world, which is far more different from the usual setup that we are all used to. The most significant change that has come up due to the covid-19 outbreak is growing care for one’s health. This can be seen as a positive outcome. 

Individuals, families, employers, and governments are expected to increase spending on healthcare at each level for good. Simultaneously, the demand for affordable healthcare services has also seen a rise. Instead of visiting a clinic or the traditional way, people would instead choose to get a medical consultation using a telemedicine provider. 

We have drastically shifted towards a new working model that is both convenient and difficult to deal with. While we are all at our homes working for hours, we tend to miss out on the small things and activities an office environment offers. This could be as simple as greeting people with a smile. In the past year, we have all understood the importance of these small gestures and how they can impact our mental well-being. However, addressing mental health benefits and wellness is still a far say for many organizations. While it can be complicated to ensure adequate mental health support for employees in an organization, it is a new generation perk that every employer must give thought. 

Telemedicine and Mental Health

People might feel hesitant to speak to a colleague or someone they know personally. However, having a professional to talk to is undoubtedly helpful. The idea to include telemedicine services as a part of employee benefits is a multi-pronged approach towards ensuring our employees are at their best. Post-covid stress does not affect their overall well-being. The ease of access provided by telemedicine platforms is the key to early diagnosis and treatment. 


Benefits of having telemedicine partners for employee benefits

Convenience in medical consultation: Having partnered with a telemedicine service provider eases the effort employees need to put in to find a suitable doctor. No matter what speciality one is looking for, it is difficult to find a good doctor and make an appointment without disturbing one’s office schedule. People generally delay medical check-ups until the situation worsens to maintain regularity at work. Having telemedicine providers solves this problem completely. Only can get high-quality consultation sitting at their place and avail necessary tests even without having to step out. 

Assured quality of consultation: When facing a doctor via a telemedicine platform, we often know a lot about the specific doctor, such as review, past cases handled, years to experience, consultation fee, education, and more. These are all factors that help people to decide. 

Reduced expenses on healthcare: Teleconsultation often cost less than hospitals or private clinics. Specifically, after the covid-19 pandemic, the cost of hospital visits has gone up tremendously. As it would be included in the employee perks, it would reduce the burden of health expenditure on the employees, ultimately reducing the inertia that one faces before going for a check-up. 

Better Employee Retention: It has been observed in many studies that employees tend to remain loyal to an organization for longer, where they get medical facilities clubbed with other perks. The background behind this is simple; health is the priority for anyone. A company that can assure its people that health comes first hits the bull-eye in employee retention.

However, telemedicine has certain cons which everyone should be aware of. It is not meant for emergencies. One has to reach out to their nearest medical centre in case of emergencies and not rely on telemedicine platforms as they do not provide physical assistance. Nevertheless, the bouquets of benefits subdue this drawback.

We, at Lakshmikumaran and Sridharan, have partnered with Seekmed for more than a year now. And the journey to date has been hassle-free and full of value add. 

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