Healthcare in 2021 will be all about virtual care and digital health. But when it comes to providing the right health benefits to the employees, there seems to be no tried and tested solution. HR professionals are now on the lookout for the most suitable virtual care platform for employee benefits packages.
A survey by Summus GlobalOpens a new window , which took into account 258 adults (aged 18 and older) who work in human resources, explored the different opinions of various HR professionals on virtual healthcare solutions and made some interesting observations about the current solutions as well as future programs.
The first and foremost thing the study found was how HR professionals’ view around offering virtual care solutions changed following the pandemic.
HR Technology News: COVID-19 Vaccines: When Can Employees Go Back To Office?
Half of them have changed their outlook and the top three factors they are concerned about now are:
-
- Quality of doctors
- Cost/return on investment
- User experience
Julian Flannery, Founder and CEO at Summus Global, feels that the pandemic has accelerated the adoption of virtual health solutions, including specialty care. He said, “This study shows that network quality, access to Centers of Excellence, and a quantifiable impact on employees’ well-being are most important to HR decision-makers as they consider adding virtual solutions. The market is also telling us there is room for innovation in virtual specialty care to broaden impact across the continuum of care.â€
The Boom of Telehealth in Specialty Care
The pandemic made telehealth in specialty care grow at a manic pace. In an earlier reportOpens a new window , Summus Global found that membership and utilization jumped by 1,095% and 3.1x, respectively.
Other studiesOpens a new window also reiterate the explosion of virtual-care solutions. According to them, providers are witnessing 50 to 175 times the number of patients via these solutions than they did in the pre-COVID world.
Adoption of Virtual Healthcare Solutions Is Here to Stay
As health becomes a priority for employees, HR professionals are also trying to align the benefits with the demands. Those organizations that do not have virtual care solutions are also planning to jump on the bandwagon.
In fact, the majority of the organizations have a virtual care solution in place. More than half of the surveyed HR professionals mentioned their employees currently have access to a third-party virtual healthcare solution. Another whopping 63% said their employees are satisfied with the solutions.
However, with disorders like anxiety and depression becoming rampant amid the pandemic, specialty care calls are getting stronger. Six in 10 HR professionals said they are either planning the implementation of a virtual care solution focused on specialty care in 2021 or would consider such a plan.
After all, remote and hybrid working models made employees feel lonely and detached from colleagues. With time, they are not only losing the sense of belonging and struggling to stay productive but are also combating anxiety and stress.
For virtual care solution in specialty care, HR professionals are also focusing on access to leading doctors (53%), employee impact (50%), and managing high-cost claimants (41%).
Also, the study revealed, “76% of HR professionals said having access to Centers of Excellence for more complex, high-cost diagnoses is important to them.â€
HR Technology News: Rehumanizing the Workplace in 2021 With an Employee-First Culture
What Matters Most When Choosing Healthcare
While HR professionals seem to emphasize the quality of doctors, cost, and return on investment and user experience, the second-opinion market remains untapped.
The study found that less than a quarter of HR professionals currently have a second-opinion program in place. Of those who now have a second-opinion program in place, 72 % see a maximum utilization rate of 4%. Also, 27% do not have a current plan but would consider implementing one.