Leveraging Telemedicine for Employee Wellness Programs in Nigeria

Introduction

If your employees are not feeling well, their work will inevitably suffer. Beyond being Nigerians or Africans, we are first and foremost human. That means stress, illness, and burnout are real possibilities in any workplace. As an employer, it’s your responsibility to recognize this and provide the necessary support so your team can recover and return to delivering top-quality work for the business.

This is why every business, or organization should instate a wellness program for employees. Workplace wellness is an organized employer-sponsored program that is designed to support employees (and sometimes their families). Utilizing Telemedicine for this means is one of the ways to get the best out of a wellness program. 

This forward thinking can be seen in Leadway Health’s Inclusion of Telemedicine as part of its role in providing healthcare to as many as possible.

What is Telemedicine?

Telemedicine is the ability to access medical treatment and services through the help of telecommunication — phones, laptops, computers, secured servers, etc.

It is being able to contact your doctor remotely, without stepping outside your home or office. Having this in mind, it becomes much more profitable to the business to have employees access wellness remotely.

Let us take this scenario as an example: as an HR personnel, you are starting to notice that some workers have been complaining of the flu. They show up to work with red eyes, coughing, using tissue papers, and showing tiredness.

This doesn’t seem or sound serious to you, so you immediately reach out to the company’s remote physician for guidance and solutions. Notice how you did not have to step out of the office to do this? How is it so much cheaper and easier? This is what virtual health care provides.

Why Virtual Health Care Matters to Nigerian Companies.

1. Cost Saving: Under the National Health Insurance Authority Act, 2022, employers with five or more staff are mandated to provide health insurance for them. Leveraging Telemedicine is a smart way to reduce the cost of medical care for employees. Less hospital visitation equals less spending. 

2. Convenience: Remote healthcare means every busy professional can gain access. 24/7, and all round the clock, you are promised care without stressing about driving to the doctor.  

3. Privacy: Virtual health care creates an avenue to open up to your doctor about sensitive and mental health-related issues. Having to speak to your doctor at your own time and space. 

4. Accessibility: Again, it is the opportunity to access medical treatment and services through the help of telecommunication. Just a simple call is enough. 

How Can Employers Begin with Telemedicine and Wellness

If by any chance you are an employer who stumbled on this article, below are steps you can take to create wellness for your employees. 

1. Check In with Employee: Monitor and access what your employees need. Would they benefit from a mental health consultation? A health education talk, or would it be a stress management class that would best suit them? These are all questions you should determine from your check-in. 

2. Choose A Telemedicine Platform: There are so many telemedicine platforms that can help you establish wellness for your employees. The task, however, lies in determining the best provider.

3.  Integrate Wellness Programs: This is inevitably the next step, and the check-in you had done with the team now determines the kind of wellness programs you should integrate for the company. Some examples are Virtual Fitness classes or gym subsidies, Therapy sessions, Nutrition and lifestyle coaching, and stress management programs. 

4. Start Small and Scale: Rome wasn’t built in one day. You cannot do everything at once. To that end, it is okay to start small and then scale from there. 

Conclusion

The advantages of leveraging telemedicine for employee wellness in Nigeria cannot be over emphasized. From reducing absenteeism to creating a stronger branding as a company that cares about staff wellbeing. Great you made it this far, speak to a doctor.