The shift to telehealth and remote care poses challenges for the healthcare workforce. With the right preparation and technology, however, the industry can adjust to the new model and support workers and patients.
During a Ceridian-sponsored session at Becker's Human Resources + Talent Virtual Summit in July, Rachel Disselkamp, senior manager of go-to-market strategy at Ceridian, discussed changes for the healthcare workforce and what further changes to expect with the shift to telehealth.
Four key takeaways:
1. Recent developments led to different care delivery models. Unlike other industries forced by the pandemic to reduce their workforce, healthcare needed to retain and even augment staffing while adjusting to new work structures, including the move to telehealth. Drivers of the change included:
- Mandates. Governments and businesses required that care should be delivered virtually where possible during COVID-19.
- Technology. Accelerated by the pandemic, reliance on digital technology increased, accelerating growth in telemedicine and mobile health.
- Direct-to-consumer. People have grown accustomed to in-home delivery in nearly all industries, contributing to a push for flexible healthcare models.
2. Working remotely reduces overhead but raises new considerations around worker mobility. Proper tracking of time outside healthcare facilities is critical for labor cost analysis, as well as how care models are structured. "Reimbursement is also likely to pose challenges," Ms. Disselkamp said. "How will mileage and maintenance costs be managed? Will doctors be reimbursed for internet and other telehealth equipment?"
In response to the pandemic, many states temporarily waived cross-state licensure requirements, expanding access to remote care. It is unclear, however, whether those waivers will remain in place and whether there will be other waivers for telemedicine in the future.
Finally, the risk of provider burnout in this new work structure is high. Two particularly important things to consider in measuring burnout quantitatively are total hours worked, which reveals level of exposure to stressful situations and number of days off, which demonstrates amount of rest versus presenteeism.
3. Providing care outside of healthcare facilities requires workspace adjustments. While convenient for patients, in-home care creates hazards for workers, such as storage and disposal of needles, aggressive pets and even lighting. Reduction in overhead may be negated by an increase in hazard pay. Lack of in-home equipment and technology can also be a problem.
Providing virtual or in-home care often means working alone, resulting in a lack of colleague support and limited access to administrative assistance. Technology such as Ceridian's Dayforce software can help with onboarding workflows, knowledge-sharing platforms and automated notification processes that facilitate much-needed connection.
4. Funding is less of a hurdle to telemedicine and mobile health adoption. Major investment has fundamentally changed the healthcare landscape, resulting in a push for more telehealth coverage. If there is no bucket for telemedicine services, however, it will not be billed or reimbursed correctly.
As additional billing codes become available, tracking will become easier but could mean creating new departments and cost centers. Operations may also need to start forecasting a telemedicine schedule and connecting to more patient-scheduling applications to meet telehealth requests — requiring renegotiation and re-budgeting to account for shifts in dollars between cost centers.
"As more governments fund telehealth programs and providers," Ms. Disselkamp said, "it will likely change job descriptions, recruiting practices and ultimately the labor codes for reimbursement and reporting."
To learn more about the event, click here.