Nurse Triage Can Save You Time and Money

Author, Casey Craig, Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

When dealing with minor injuries, one of the last places you want your employees having to go right now is to a clinic or hospital emergency room. What are ways that you can keep your employees well cared for, without subjecting them to the added exposure of a waiting room? Telephonic Nurse Triage allows your employee to have a conversation with a registered nurse and possibly avoid the trip to a clinic or emergency room.

The advantages of using nurse triage include:

• Timely Claim Reporting

• Quick Proper Treatment          

• Improved Productivity

• Lower Claim Costs

• Reduced Litigation

The average call to a nurse triage provider is 8-12 minutes, which includes the introductory questions. This process can save your company countless hours while still getting your employee the proper care needed. Additionally, should the injured employee require further care, the nurse can help direct the employee to the nearest approved clinic or hospital within your insurance provider’s Medical Provider Network (MPN).

Nurse Triage has developed into a much needed resource in the workers’ compensation field. Recognizing this, some insurance carriers have begun integrating this service into their own claims management process. At Rancho Mesa, educating our clients on options and resources like these help us stay on the leading edge of technology. If you would like assistance in exploring Nurse Triage or other cost saving programs, please contact Alyssa Burley, Client Services Manager, at aburley@ranchomesa.com.

Employers Embrace Benefits of Telemedicine to Treat Work-Place Injuries

Author, Jeremy Hoolihan, Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Telemedicine is becoming prevalent in the workplace as a more efficient way to treat non-emergency type injuries. Employers, employees, and insurance companies alike are seeing the benefits of telemedicine from a convenience and efficiency standpoint. 

Telemedicine is defined as the practice of caring for patients remotely when the provider and patient are not physically present with each other. Modern technology has enabled doctors and nurses to consult patients by using HIPAA compliant audio and video conferencing tools.

Benefits of Telemedicine

• Immediate access to medical professionals is provided to injured employees and their supervisors; 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This often eliminates the need for scheduling and attending an in-person appointment and waiting room delays.

• The injured workers and supervisors avoid lost time from work driving to and from appointments.

• Employees who work remotely can quickly gain access to medical assistance.

• Minor injuries such as strains and sprains can respond favorably to appropriate on-site first aid. Often times, these types of injuries are referred to off-site clinics for care that is more expensive and more time consuming, but no more effective.

• Sound clinical decisions can be made about when first aid is appropriate and when referrals are necessary.

• When off-site referrals are necessary, doctors and nurses can direct the injured worker to pre-selected clinics within the insurance companies Medical Provider Network (MPN).

• Many telemedicine providers work directly with the employer’s insurance company to provide the first report of injury and create the claim in their system. This eliminates the need for policyholders to report the claim. This also ensures that claims are reported immediately and without delay.

• Telemedicine calls are typically recorded for future reference. The recordings are a useful tool in documenting the symptoms and injuries that are initially reported. 

How Telemedicine Works

When a workplace injury occurs and the employee requests medical treatment, a call will be placed to the predetermined telemedicine company. The triage nurse that answers will typically speak with the supervisor first, then privately with the injured employee. During the call, the nurse will provide an initial assessment of the injured worker, determine the seriousness, and evaluate the type of medical care that is appropriate. If further medical care is deemed necessary, the nurse will refer the injured employee to a certified occupational physician who can conduct a virtual appointment online via a computer, tablet, or smartphone. If the telemedicine company is not able to conduct a virtual appointment, the injured employee will be directed to a clinic within the MPN.

Once the assessment is complete, the nurse will provide a treatment plan. If the injured employee can safety return to work, the nurse will provide first aid/self-care instructions. Self-care instructions are typically accessed online or faxed. The nurse typically completes the call by speaking once again with the supervisor to ensure they are aware of the treatment plan.

Telemedicine is recognized by many as an efficient way of treating non-emergency injuries in the workplace. In fact, many insurance companies have recently partnered with telemedicine companies to help prevent a minor injury from becoming more complicated, and help the injured employee focus on returning to wellness.

If you would like to have a discussion about telemedicine and how it could be implemented into your workers’ compensation program, please feel free to reach out to me, Jeremy Hoolihan, at (619) 937-0174.