Virtual care, telehealth - managing chronic conditions

Woman laughing during a video call with her doctor

Since chronic conditions affect 50% of employees and make up 86% of U.S. health care costs, it’s important that employers are set up to support employees with chronic conditions.¹

Studies show that chronic conditions like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes are the leading causes of death and disability in the United States.² When virtual care is connected to your employer-sponsored health plan, you can better support employees with chronic conditions.

Virtual care can help support employees with chronic conditions

Most health care services are available 9-to-5, Monday through Friday, so employees who only have access to in-person care are often forced to choose between missing work or de-prioritizing their overall health.

Improve adherence to treatment plan

Nearly 9 in 10 employees would cancel or reschedule a preventive care appointment due to workplace pressures.³ Unfortunately this can prevent employees with chronic conditions from getting the care they need and can lead to even higher costs as illnesses go untreated. Employees who use virtual care services to help manage their chronic conditions are more likely to follow their treatment plans with routine telehealth follow-ups — giving their care team better visibility into their health.

Illustration of a patient and medical clerk making an appointment on a calendar, with caption: Nearly 9 in 10 employees would cancel or reschedule a preventive care appointment due to workplace pressures

Monitor patient health remotely

Employees who have chronic conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure can benefit from remote patient monitoring. They receive Bluetooth-enabled monitors that securely share blood pressure or blood sugar readings electronically with their care providers in real-time. This enables care team members to better assess a patient’s health over time, provide ongoing feedback about progress or response to a medication change, and detect new treatment needs.

Reduce overutilization and hospital readmission

More frequent telehealth check-ins can help care teams catch any complications sooner, leading to fewer hospitalizations and emergency room visits. Studies show that telehealth could replace 20% of emergency room visits and 24% of office visits and other outpatient encounters as it uses resources more effectively to keep costs down.⁴

Illustrations of a hospital and of a patient with two doctors, with captions: telehealth could replace 20% of emergency room visits and 24% of office visits

Patients with chronic conditions have higher hospital readmission rates — readmissions related to conditions like COPD alone amount to more than $15 billion annually in the United States.⁵ Virtual care can help reduce these readmissions by giving employees a more convenient way to follow up on their health care following admission to a hospital.

While there are always some instances where patients will need in-person appointments, virtual care can give your employees more options to access the care they need — benefiting both your workforce and your business.

Prioritizing employee health benefits your employees and your business

Today’s business leaders understand the connection between the workplace environment and the impact on employee health — especially for those living with chronic conditions.

A healthier workforce can mean lower health care costs, reduced workers’ compensation claims, and fewer sick days. To encourage employees to stay engaged in their care and remain present on the job, it’s important to offer a health plan with virtual care that connects their whole care team, so employees have cost-effective and convenient ways to access care.