As Canadians go back to work, organizations face a whole new set of challenges. Digital health will provide a safer re-entry to the workplace and greater peace of mind for employers and employees.
Around the world, employers are looking at their traditional workplaces and trying to determine what changes and advancements will need to be put in place to address concerns about a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. One phrase that is prominent in virtual boardrooms everywhere is digital health.
What is Digital Health?
The concept of digital health is straight forward – utilizing technology to improve one’s health and wellness. While digital health can include everything from wearable gadgets to artificial intelligence, it’s primarily about using technology and communication to prevent disease, help patients to monitor and manage chronic conditions, and tailor confidential medical care to their specific needs, efficiently and affordably.
Digital health technology could enable employees to improve their lifestyles and maintain good health with fewer trips to their doctor. It could also help identify new illnesses and monitor existing ones. For the employee, it’s improved quality of life – for the employer, it’s a positive, healthy workforce and reduced coverage costs.
According to Canada Health Infoway, “Canada’s digital health initiative involves creating a network of systems to securely connect and share health information with authorized care providers.” It also provides information and tools that allow employees to understand and manage their health and the wellbeing of their families.
Digital health is a valuable resource for employees
Many businesses cannot afford thermal cameras, antibody screening or on-site nurses. Understanding digital health may provide a workable strategy to welcome employees back to the workplace. In a recent interview, Andrew Le, cofounder and CEO of Buoy Health said, “There’s really not a single solution that is effective on its own. Digital health can be a home base for an employer to take multiple strategies and layer them at the same time, because 100% of your population needs help every single day to figure out how to come in safely.”
Not only does every company possess unique and different physical challenges, every employee has a different level of risk. Managing the flow of dozens or hundreds of employees is a complex operation as we all strive to avoid a substantial spike in cases.
After dealing with months of a drastically slowed economy during the pandemic, employers find themselves with fewer resources to tackle challenges like testing. Beyond the expense of testing, employers must determine who should be tested and how often. Digital health makes this a shared responsibility and helps to identify which employees are at a greater risk level. Another benefit of having employees engaged in digital health is a change of attitude and culture. Employees are beginning to understand that it is no longer a ‘badge of honour’ to come to the office and ‘work through’ a cold. Today, employees now appreciate a sick co-worker who makes the decision to work from home rather than unintentionally spread germs throughout the office.
The COVID 19 experience has shown that even asymptomatic employees could spread germs; being actively involved in one’s own digital health could inform an individual about their likelihood of being exposed or contagious.
Earl Shindruk of Optimax Benefits has been hearing positive results from a number of HR professionals across the province. “We have been initiating new digital health plans with clients whose employees were experiencing issues around the areas of mental health and grief. Because many of our clients are already using cutting edge technology, they have been open to adopting and utilizing digital health.”
The world has changed forever
A year ago, as managers strategized and created plans for the future of their companies, few could have envisioned the challenges presented by a global pandemic. Now, those plans need to be quickly and thoughtfully updated. Brian Solis, a digital anthropologist and keynote speaker, believes every company must adopt digital health practices. While still focusing on growth opportunities for the company, managers must also consider: reorganizing workspaces, monitoring common spaces, rethinking conference rooms, and the possibility of adjusting shifts to create space on elevators. Over the past few months, people have adapted to following arrows in grocery stores; tomorrow they may need to follow a similar protocol to reach their cubicles.
Does your organization have an updated pandemic playbook and crisis taskforce? Are policies in place to protect both employees and clients? Has the company considered ongoing PPE sourcing or a regular deep cleaning initiative?
We’re all learning as we go
Many Alberta companies have already incorporated digital health, including Work Nicer Coworking. “With everything going on today, physical and mental health have never been more important or top of mind,” says Work Nicer’s Justin Weleschuk. “Work Nicer started thinking, how can we further add value and what can we provide to help members and their families? The answer – virtual healthcare; essentially a walk-in clinic in your pocket. Virtual healthcare was just another way to provide preposterous value without the nonsense for the Work Nicer community, which is one of our guiding principles.”
Digital health practices will continue to evolve and it will be incumbent on organizations to monitor and adopt best practices that suit their specific needs. Larger organizations may look at creating a Chief Medical Officer role while others may hire consultants to help create policies and monitor implementation. Resources are available for companies of all sizes to improve their knowledge of digital health, assess benefits packages and provide a safer environment for their staff.
(Cover photo courtesy of LinkedIn Sales Navigator on Unsplash)
