By Caroline Kilgore
It's not earth shattering that onsite clinics have long been a popular choice among employers, especially when you look at the primary drivers for building them to begin with - cost and convenience. Not only do they provide a convenient option for employees to receive medical care, but they also offer a range of benefits that could help boost productivity and save companies money in the long run. It's also no secret that over the past few years, employer campuses across the country were temporarily vacated. Have you noticed a uptick in return to work? We certainly have across our footprint.
As employees have adjusted to remote and hybrid work, employers are faced with addressing some of the poor choices or unaffordable choices their plan members made while they were holed up at home. In the United States, one in four of the employee population lacks an identified source of primary care. This number continues to climb year over year as young members of the workforce find themselves less inclined to have a primary care physician. In 2015, research found that only approximately 2 out of 3 Americans in their 30s have an identified source of primary care, leaving one third of the demographic without. In addition to the growing number of employees without primary care, virtual care has become increasingly popular. Virtual care can range from primary care, chronic disease management, physical therapy, dermatology, emergency issues, to chiropractic.
If we know that routine primary care check-ins can greatly reduce our need for costly emergency department visits, why is the workforce moving away from primary care? Research has found that primary care provider availability, ease of access to emergency care, and self-perceived severity of complaints were the most influential factors. Part of the accessibility and availability includes the remote and hybrid shifts in the workplace. In addition, multiple studies have shown that many patients view the ER as faster and more convenient. In fact, 70% of ER visits are unnecessary and could be treated alternatively. The lack of routine and accessible care among the American workforce is consequential for employers as the health and well-being of their employees affects the ability to work, retention rates, and cost of providing healthcare. Employers are paying an upwards of 36% more than what they paid for in terms of employee healthcare costs compared to 2018.
Virtually onsite.
To mitigate the upward trend of moving away from primary care along with the remote and hybrid shifts in the workplace, companies have begun to integrate virtual health systems into their benefits plans. These virtual appointments are different than your typical telehealth service or nurse call line as the providers are often the same as an employee would see in their brick-and-mortar clinic at work. These virtual clinics help patients identify whether they can be treated online or if they are recommended to come into the in-person clinic. Virtual care is quick, low cost, and can be used to monitor patients with chronic conditions and patients in remote areas.
Due to the integration of virtual care, worksite clinics have become increasingly popular for companies. 26% of all US employers and 33% of US employers with over 5,000 employees offer general medical worksite centers. An additional 8% of companies stated that they are interested in adding a worksite clinic in the future. Organizations such as the National Association of Worksite Health Centers (NAWHC) focus on assisting these employers and other plan sponsors in receiving the greatest return from their onsite, near-site, shared, mobile and virtual health centers, pharmacies, worksite fitness and wellness centers. NAWHC is the nation’s only non-profit association supporting employer sponsors of worksite clinics and provides education, networks, and resources for employers who wish to integrate or develop worksite health centers into their health care and benefits strategies.
Bringing disease management, dermatology and drug adherence to an employer's backyard.
As Larry Boress from NAWHC clarifies, “[Employers are] using virtual care as a triage to when somebody first says I would like to see someone to determine whether they can be treated virtually or whether they need to come into the center. There's this real growth in virtual care. And it's not just primary care. It's chronic disease management. It's physical therapy. It's dermatology. It’s chiropractic. It's amazing how many different types of care can be provided now virtually.”
Another great benefit of worksite and near-site clinics is the convenient access to pharmaceutical services. Retail drugs accounts for nearly 20% of employer insurance benefits. Northwind Pharmaceuticals is a national pharmacy service that works with employers of onsite clinics to provide employees prescription medications and supplies in a cost-effective way. Northwind customers who add dispensing to their worksite clinic see an average pharma savings of 35%. Additionally, Northwind Rx@Work dispensing program offers customer chronic care programs, a staff of experienced pharmacists, and consolidated analytics and reporting.
Betsy Bigler, MSN, RN, President and COO of Northwind Pharmaceuticals iterates, “Based on experience, Health Centers with pharmacy programs drive 20% increase in engagement in their first year versus those that do not. Our most advanced health centers maximize pharmacy value by leveraging Northwind Clinical BlueprintsTM which target chronic disease, like diabetes, by pairing medications and supplies with a structured program that brings it all together at the point of care. Several years and thousands of patients later, we're seeing dramatically reduced HbA1c test results and cost of care dropping by as much as 40% for participants as compared to non-engaged diabetics. Stewardship like that keeps employers asking what else they can do as they watch health center ROI increase with each program.”
Healthcare looks different for every employee population. Worksite and near site clinics allow employers to customize their benefits to their employees needs while also offering convenient and accessible care so that they can do their best and feel their best.
Curious what solutions can complement your plan design for onsite and near site clinics? Keep the conversation going on www.thegranitelist.com.