Work-life balance is a tough goal to achieve. Trying to carve out time for family, friends, self-care, hobbies, and community can be overwhelming.
Access to onsite healthcare can help employees better manage their health needs and enhance work-life balance. To do so, choose an onsite clinic vendor with a comprehensive healthcare solution, including Chronic Condition Management, Patient Advocacy, and connected second opinion networks.
Convenience
Onsite care facilities offer employees a convenient option for medical care without having to travel to off-site facilities, schedule appointments at inconvenient times, or spend valuable time away from work. The proximity and ease of access to onsite clinics can help employees get back to work more quickly after illnesses or injuries, reduce lost productivity, and limit the need for off-site care that often leads to costly hospital visits.
Employees may also save on prescription costs by having their medications delivered to the onsite care clinic and avoid paying copays. Those savings may not only improve an employee’s financial well-being, but can increase productivity as well.
While some onsite health arrangements may only provide occupational medicine and first aid, leading onsite care providers offer a wider spectrum of services to benefit both the employer and its employees. These services can include primary care, wellness screenings, immunizations, and counseling to address behavioral issues.
A comprehensive onsite care solution is typically led by a team of healthcare professionals, including physicians, nurse practitioners, and healthcare counselors. This can allow for more individualized care and more time to discuss concerns and goals. Some onsite care programs can even support the management of chronic conditions like high blood pressure, arthritis, and diabetes through education, coaching, and monitoring.
Access to Specialists
Many healthcare professionals struggle to find a work-life balance because they feel their job demands all their attention. According to a study, this can result in professional burnout, leading to poor patient care. Healthcare staff needs to take time off to rest and recharge so that they can return to work rejuvenated.
Workplaces that recognize the value of a healthy work-life balance often set policies and programs to help employees achieve it. For example, employers may offer onsite health centers or onsite daycare facilities to provide convenient access to quality primary and preventive care.
In the case of onsite health centers, they may also offer same-day or next-day appointments, reducing the need to travel to an outside clinic and avoiding escalating costs.
In our research, participants who used onsite clinics frequently were satisfied with their ability to receive a comprehensive diagnosis and a referral to an outside hospital or specialist when necessary.
However, participants who were less happy with their onsite care experiences were more concerned about the providers’ provider-centered management model and the lack of choice in their treatment options. These concerns prompted them to use their workplace health center less often.
Providing a wide range of onsite services effectively addresses these concerns and increases employee satisfaction with their onsite health centers.
Preventive Care
Encouraging preventive care is key to improving employee wellness and reducing overall healthcare costs. Unfortunately, people often skip their annual check-ups, compromising their health and increasing the cost of their care due to missed detection and treatment.
Proximity and convenience to onsite medical services make it easier for employees to get the routine screenings, vaccinations, and immediate care without taking time off work or incurring expensive copays. It also minimizes indirect costs such as missed productivity, lost wages, and increased absenteeism caused by unnecessary or urgent care visits.
Ideally, the availability of onsite primary care is an incentive for employees to use it regularly and to stay in the care of their regular provider. Employees who miss their regular medical appointments tend to experience worsening of their health conditions over time, resulting in higher healthcare costs for both employers and employees, more frequent use of the emergency department, and greater costs from unexpected illnesses.
Onsite clinics offer various services, including flu shots, immunizations, and screenings, and many of them feature 24/7 remote access via telemedicine to meet after-hours or holiday needs.
Moreover, some facilities encompass multiple medical specialties onsite to provide comprehensive patient care and reduce costly transfers to outside providers. The best practices of onsite health providers are to monitor their patients and optimize service offerings based on real-time needs.
They also personalize outreach to promote engagement with onsite health centers and reduce barriers to utilization.
Employee Wellness
Access to healthcare services at work allows employees to manage their health and well-being better.
Whether they need to get an urgent appointment with their GP, have a health assessment, or see a specialist, an onsite care facility makes it easier to fit these appointments into their schedules. This helps them feel happier and more satisfied with their lives, which can lead to higher productivity in the workplace.
In addition, employees who feel healthy and able to focus on their tasks are less likely to take sick days, which can cut costs for the company. This is especially true when holistic wellness programs are included in the program design.
Onsite clinics are an important part of any employer’s wellness strategy. They offer various medical and wellness services, such as first aid, health assessments, wellness exams, physical therapy, mental health support, chronic disease management, nutrition counseling, and more.
Onsite care also demonstrates to employees that their employers are invested in their well-being, which can boost job satisfaction and help retain top talent. It can also reduce costs for the company by decreasing employee turnover and absenteeism.
