{"id":18412,"date":"2020-05-15T08:58:46","date_gmt":"2020-05-15T12:58:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.benefitscanada.com\/news\/how-opg-is-leveraging-virtual-care-to-improve-health-access-145636"},"modified":"2020-05-15T08:58:46","modified_gmt":"2020-05-15T12:58:46","slug":"how-opg-is-leveraging-virtual-care-to-improve-health-access","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.lifeinsurance-orleans.ca\/index.php\/2020\/05\/15\/how-opg-is-leveraging-virtual-care-to-improve-health-access\/","title":{"rendered":"How OPG is leveraging virtual care to improve health access"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

The pilot, implemented on July 1, 2019, provides about 500 hydro fleet employees and their dependants with online access to a doctor 24 hours a day, seven days a week, says Tanya Hickey, the organization\u2019s senior manager of health and safety strategies.<\/p>\n

On average, the response rate to contact a physician is two minutes and consultations last around 15 minutes. Through the platform, provided by virtual health-care company Maple, employees can also receive lab requisitions, specialist referrals and medical documentation for disability management.<\/p>\n

Read: OPG wins absence management award for efforts to shift workplace culture<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

The pilot was introduced after OPG\u2019s eastern operations team reported its sick leave rates were higher than rates across the rest of OPG and asked about best practices for addressing the problem, says Hickey. Many of these employees had been transferred from the Lambton-Port Dover area in Ontario, and one of their major complaints was they no longer had access to family physicians. Further, these towns lack walk-in clinics, so employees were stuck in the hospital\u2019s emergency room for six to eight hours, losing a day of work just to see a doctor.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you don\u2019t have a family physician, you can go to the emergency room as many times as you want, but you\u2019re never going to see a specialist or get a referral,\u201d she says. \u201cThis was the driving factor in deciding to implement the pilot project.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dave Jarrell, a trades management supervisor based outside of Ottawa, used the virtual health-care platform for the first time in February 2020. Following his relocation, it took him three years to find a family doctor \u2014 and bad weather, parking and delays at work caused him to miss his first appointment. The result was a three-hour leave from work, says Jarrell, which incurred additional costs to OPG.<\/p>\n

Read: Walmart Canada rolls out free virtual health care to all staff<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Using the platform, it took him minutes to fill the prescription he required. \u201cI see huge value in this [pilot] as part of our benefits program. It alleviates the burden on our existing medical system and reduces absenteeism and employee stress.\u201d<\/p>\n

Is it worth it?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Employers have been looking at virtual health care for years, but few had the resources to be able to afford these programs, says Chris Pryce, managing director of Human Capital Benefits. \u201cNow, [it] has been thrust into the open because of the pandemic and the landscape for virtual care has suddenly changed. This should drive uptake down the road.\u201d<\/p>\n

Through the virtual health-care platform, OPG saw an opportunity to provide innovative support to staff, with the company fronting the costs for employees at its eastern operations.<\/p>\n

Many plan sponsors are concerned about their benefits plan costs, notes Pryce. Since a primary focus is preventing and managing disabilities and keeping employees productive and healthy, anything that moves the needle and mitigates co-morbidities and chronic health-care costs will be viewed positively by plan sponsors with longer-term visions, he adds. \u201cSome [employers] don\u2019t like spending money, but if they realize they\u2019ll be in a better position in the future as a result of that expenditure, it\u2019s easier to make decisions on that basis.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read: Rising cost of drugs, benefits plans top priorities for employers: survey<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

The return on investment for OPG\u2019s pilot project has definitely been worth it, says Hickey. And, from an engagement point of view, employees feel the organization really cares about their health.<\/p>\n

In the wake of the coronavirus crisis, the organization has also expanded a version of the pilot to all employees. \u201cIt is an emergency program whereby OPG pays for it month to month \u2014 as long as the pandemic is on \u2014 and allows employees\u2019 fam=ilies up to three consultations during this period,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s communicate<\/strong><\/p>\n

The organization also offers all employees access to three Morneau Shepell Ltd. programs: AbilitiCBT delivers real-time, personalized cognitive behavioural therapy for a full spectrum of mental-health concerns through a digital platform; InfluenceCare is available to help employees access mental-health care and was extended to eastern operations employees for support around musculoskeletal issues; and Depression Care, is provided to all workers who are identified to have a moderate to severe risk =of depression when they call the company\u2019s employee assistance program.<\/p>\n

\n

OPG\u2019s virtual care
by the numbers<\/strong><\/p>\n

51%<\/strong> \u2014 Signup rate<\/p>\n

105%<\/strong> \u2014 Implied annual utilization<\/p>\n

53%<\/strong> \u2014 Consults during weekday office hours<\/p>\n

199<\/strong> \u2014 Prescriptions ordered<\/p>\n

27<\/strong> \u2014 Medical notes written<\/p>\n

Source: OPG pilot\u2019s key metrics between July 3, 2019 and Feb. 29, 2020<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cIf we don\u2019t repeatedly support health-care initiatives, remind employees they have them or talk about wellness management, then these programs are forgotten about,\u201d says Hickey. \u201cThey\u2019re great ideas, but ultimately, they\u2019re only as good as the communication component that\u2019s tied to them.\u201d<\/p>\n

When OPG introduced the pilot project, it handed out information packages and visited each eastern operations work centre for a face-to-face meeting with the entire group. As a result, the organization has seen a high uptake.<\/p>\n

Read:<\/strong> Innovative benefits communication nets award for WSP Canada<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

The communications piece is vital, notes Pryce, because these programs are also available for employees\u2019 dependants. Many organizations have employees whose first language isn\u2019t English, he adds, so sharing information with spouses and children can be an ongoing challenge. \u201cEmployers need to reinforce the message and keep dependants \u2014 who can comprise 30, 40, 50 per cent of the total subscriber population to a particular plan \u2014 informed.\u201d<\/p>\n

For OPG, there are major changes ahead, says Hickey, noting the organization\u2019s nuclear generating station in Pickering, Ont. will be ending commercial life operations in 2024. \u201cWe want to make sure, during these times of high change and uncertainty, that all employees have access to every service available and ensure they\u2019re able to work on their resiliency and coping skills and are able to bring their best selves to work.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cassandra Williamson-Hopp<\/a> is conference editor at <\/em>Benefits Canada.<\/em><\/p>\n

Read the full article at BenefitsCanada.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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