Using Remote Patient Monitoring to Improve Employee Health and Wellness

We're all worn from the pandemic and the far-reaching ramifications it has had on our lives. It has changed how and where we work. It has changed how we shop and interact with each other. And it has changed how we view health care, care delivery and our health and wellness journey.

As employers, all of these have potentially huge impacts on your company, as well. Employees demand and expect more and, as a result, are harder to recruit and retain. Your employees' health, wellness and productivity all equally matter to you, but so does managing costs. So what can you do to ensure all of this happens? Let's take a step back and see what we learned from the pandemic, and how we apply these new processes and technology to improve the health and wellness of your employees.

Pandemic Health Worker (PHW) Program Sets the Stage

First, let's revisit the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. As social distancing and lockdowns drove nearly all face-to-face interaction to a grinding halt, the fear of the unknown and the ways we accessed health care changed overnight. The impact was huge, and virtually the entire population was at risk, but resources remained the same.

At OSF OnCall, we realized a different approach to care delivery was necessary. In a very short time, the Pandemic Health Worker program was launched. This program deployed over 100 health care workers as part of a COVID-19 hotline. The primary goal was to answer the public's questions regarding COVID-19, as well as triage and direct care as necessary.

Callers were given the option to enroll in the PHW program if they tested positive for COVID-19 or clinical triage indicated it would benefit them. This included patients having COVID-19 symptoms but not requiring emergency or inpatient care. Health care providers could also refer patients to the program.

Upon enrollment, a Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) assessment was conducted, and enrollees were provided education, and resource referrals, including behavioral health support or local community health services (i.e., food, safety, etc.) deemed appropriate by the assessment.

Those with more severe symptoms or ongoing COVID-19 needs were directed into the Acute COVID @Home program for clients needing a higher level of care. This program included an increased level of support. All enrollees received at-home monitoring tools to monitor key vital signs and oxygen levels. Communication devices such as tablets, phones and laptops were also made available to enrollees needing the appropriate resources.

This immediate and 24/7 monitoring allowed many patients to recover at home with care quality equal to inpatient care, led by licensed clinicians and providers.

In addition to the COVID-19 hotline, an artificial intelligence (AI) symptom checker was integrated into the website's digital assistant, a chatbot named Clare. A free text messaging tool providing guidance about COVID-19 and video visit options were also incorporated into the program. This all provided enrollees a choice on their preferred method of engagement.

The Impact of Chronic Illness on U.S. Businesses

Although still not far removed from the onset of the pandemic, let's fast forward to today. Beyond COVID-19, and according to the National Health Council, some 130 million Americans, or over 40% of the country's population, have a chronic disease or comorbidity. This includes illnesses and diseases such as asthma, diabetes, heart failure, COPD and hypertension. And the cost to the economy, individuals and U.S. businesses is enormous.

Rand Corp estimates chronic diseases and illnesses result in over $1 trillion in health care costs. And multiple sources estimate overall annual lost productivity cost ranges upwards of $2-3 trillion.

Just as nearly everyone was impacted by COVID-19 in one form or another, the impact of chronic illness on employers and employees is just as widespread. So, what is an employer to do?

As employers look at their on-going occupational health and wellness initiatives, "new" approaches are needed to meet employee demands and expectations. These approaches also are needed to help employers manage costs, keep a healthy workforce and community, have more productive employees and increase employee retention.

Applying PHW Learnings to Manage Chronic Disease and Illness

Imagine if you could leverage the tools and knowledge gained from the COVID-19 effort to meet the on-going challenges of your employees.

As chronic disease and illness grow, and as symptoms often remain not properly checked and monitored, the impact on both employers and employees is significant and includes:

• More doctor visits or, in many cases, emergency room visits. This drives additional health care costs, time away from work, and inconvenience and costs to your employees.
• Improper and unhealthy behavior, due to employees potentially not being fully educated on their condition, which only exasperates the issue.
• Ignoring or lack of recognition by employees of abnormal changes in their condition. This tendency often puts employees at even higher risk, requiring more expensive treatment as the chronic issue worsens. Again, increasing costs for all parties and work absences.

Now imagine, if you will, applying the same technology and processes used for the COVID-19 response to alleviate, or at least improve, the daily health conditions of your employees. Imagine the health impact. The cost impact. The productivity impact. For both you and them.

Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) offers that ability and delivers significant benefits. With technology that allows for continuous monitoring of key vitals, abnormal patterns can be quickly identified and acted upon. As a result:

• Issues are identified earlier, allowing for faster treatment. In many cases, prompt treatment can not only prevent more serious issues from arising but it also can be delivered virtually. As a result, risk is reduced, treatment can be provided more cost effectively and more conveniently for the patient.
• These early and immediate measures and notifications result in fewer emergency room visits and unnecessary in-person visits, containing costs as well as providing peace of mind and increased satisfaction for your employees.
• Care is available 24/7/365 providing peace of mind and earlier treatment when needed.

Success is Significant

During COVID-19 and the PHW program, over 10,000 people enrolled, and over 38,000 virtual visits were conducted. And results showed 96% of participants would recommend the program to others and reported feeling relief after enrolling. Hundreds of patients were virtually treated with the "in-patient level quality care," avoiding unnecessary visits or even admissions.

Now imagine the same level of success with the 40% or more of your employees who struggle daily with chronic disease and illness. The satisfaction and peace of mind delivered through virtual monitoring and treatment options can do nothing but improve their overall health and wellness. And that improvement delivers bottom-line results to employers through productivity gains and improved recruiting and retention. In addition, it positions you as an employer of choice and a leading contributor to a healthier community.

To see how Remote Patient Monitoring can be worked into your company's employee health and wellness program, contact us here.

Sources Cited

• https://nationalhealthcouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/AboutChronicDisease.pdf
• https://www.rand.org/blog/rand-review/2017/07/chronic-conditions-in-america-price-and-prevalence.html