{"id":17602,"date":"2017-05-08T08:00:37","date_gmt":"2017-05-08T15:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.accessrx.com\/blog\/?p=17602"},"modified":"2017-05-08T08:00:37","modified_gmt":"2017-05-08T15:00:37","slug":"your-employer-might-be-offering-telemedicine-benefits-right-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.edrugstore.com\/blog\/current-health-news\/your-employer-might-be-offering-telemedicine-benefits-right-now\/","title":{"rendered":"Your Employer Might Be Offering Telemedicine Benefits Right Now"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Telemedicine\"
Your Employer Might Be Offering Telemedicine Benefits Right Now<\/figcaption><\/figure> Telemedicine in some form has been around for about half a century, but widespread adoption of medical care provided over a phone or video call connection has only taken off in the past few years. <\/p>\n

In 2015, more than 15 million Americans<\/a> partook of some form of telemedicine. Projected growth of around 30% per year is cause for optimism among proponents of telemedicine.<\/p>\n

There are pockets of medical care into which telemedicine hasn\u2019t reached. Nearly 40% of consumers still don\u2019t know about telemedicine, and approximately the same percentage of people say they prefer to visit their doctor in person. Only around 15% of doctors use telemedicine as part of their practice, but the vast majority would be amenable to it if they were certain of being reimbursed appropriately.<\/p>\n

More insurers cover telemedicine than ever before, and many employers offer telemedicine as a benefit, either as a part of the health insurance they offer, or independently. The benefits of telemedicine are important ones: time savings, cost savings, less-crowded waiting rooms, and lower work absenteeism. So why isn\u2019t everyone using telemedicine<\/a>? There are several easily-addressable reasons.<\/p>\n

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Step One Is Awareness<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Many people don\u2019t know that they have access to telemedicine benefits. Perhaps it only merited a quick mention in an employer\u2019s healthcare benefits presentation. And the phenomenon of employees literally \u201cnot getting the memo\u201d still occurs. Employees may know that they have telemedicine benefits, but aren\u2019t sure if their employer actively supports it or not. Companies that want to enjoy the cost and time savings associated with telemedicine must ensure that employees know about the option and that they know the company supports usage of it. Most people need a bit of a nudge to try new things, and employers can provide this if they try.<\/p>\n

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Some People Don\u2019t Know How to Use Telemedicine<\/strong><\/h2>\n

To some people, telemedicine sounds too technologically advanced, or they\u2019re not used to making Skype calls, and so they worry that technology could stand in the way of their usage of telemedicine services. <\/p>\n

Again, it is important for insurers and employers to inform people not only that the option exists, but also that it\u2019s simple to use. Companies that are just starting to offer telemedicine should strongly consider having a brief training session to demonstrate how easy using the service can be. And they must make clear that users\u2019 privacy and security are protected at every step of a telemedicine visit.<\/p>\n

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Skepticism Toward Telemedicine Effectiveness Remains<\/strong><\/h2>\n

What about the people who prefer in-person doctor visits? There\u2019s no question that telemedicine isn\u2019t appropriate for every health issue, but many people don\u2019t know that outcomes from telemedicine visits are equal to or better than<\/a> outcomes for in-person care. Studies consistently show that this is the case. In particular, telemedicine has been shown to be useful for the following:<\/p>\n