The rise of digital health tools and how they support preventative health initiatives
There’s no doubt that healthy employees are more present, productive, energised and motivated than those who aren’t operating at full capacity.
Mind and body are connected when considering employee health so things that cause us worry or stress – including the state of our financial wellbeing – will impact our mental and physical health.
We must always keep this connection and the importance of financial resilience in mind when developing a workplace health and wellbeing strategy.
The power of preventative digital health tools
Prevention is more beneficial and cost-effective than cure.
When you give your employees the digital health tools that enable them to take the initiative and look after their own health, you’re providing them with a way to prevent avoidable illnesses.
It’s a win for your people, business and the economy, reducing expensive absenteeism and alleviating some of the pressure on the NHS.
Digital healthcare platforms
Digital healthcare platforms and apps offer content about commonly occurring medical problems and how to tackle them.
Employees will also have access to self-care content and tools they can utilise whenever needed.
Most people know how to take care of themselves.
Still, life is demanding, many jobs are sedentary, and we’re a nation that craves convenience.
Digital healthcare tools can be the daily reminder, the nudge in the right direction your employees need to make better lifestyle choices.
Employee assistance programmes (EAPs)
EAPs contain a wealth of tools to help prevent mental ill-health.
As Pluxee UK shares in its podcast Breaking Down the Barriers to Affordable Mental Health Support (Episode 2) employees ought to feel empowered to pick up the phone or send an email to their EAP service as soon as the first issue arises.
Don’t wait for the stresses to mount up or for your mental wellbeing to decline before making the call.
That’s the crux of the message. Not all calls lead to sessions with one of their confidential and BACP-accredited counsellors.
Often, the first step is working through ways an employee can help themselves with the support of someone with the skills to provide effective strategies to tackle their problems.
With an app at their fingertips, giving them access to podcasts, guides and journals, EAP is a preventative mental health tool that nurtures employee mental resilience.
Speeding up access to treatment
Digital health solutions are effective preventative tools, but they also speed up access to treatment.
Digital healthcare platforms
Getting a GP appointment through your local NHS surgery can take over a week.
A digital healthcare platform can give you access to an online GP on the same day.
This availability also ticks the box for prevention since the quicker an employee can see a GP, the sooner they can be treated.
Whether it’s preparing a referral or a prescription, digital healthcare platforms help employees get the medical support they need as soon as they need it.
Employee assistance programmes (EAPs)
If an employee needs support with declining mental health, using traditional routes, their GP would be the first place to go.
From there, the doctor must get them onto the appropriate support path through referrals. With more and more people seeking mental health support, there are lengthy waiting periods.
With EAP, once an employee calls to ask for help, they can be booked into counselling sessions within a matter of days.
Since the service uses non-NHS BACP-accredited counsellors, every employee who chooses EAP for their mental health support is one less person on the waiting list, relieving some of the pressures on the NHS.
Reduce absenteeism and boost employee engagement
Absenteeism, through physical and mental ill-health, costs the UK economy billions annually.
Giving employees access to digital health tools that empower them to look after themselves and get treatment sooner is an investment employers must take advantage of.
In partnership with Pluxee UK
Pluxee UK, is a leading employee benefits and engagement partner that opens up a world of opportunities to help people enjoy more of what really matters in their lives.
