How Medical Triage Specialists Help Reduce Wait Times
Globally, almost 3 million people die from work-related illnesses and accidents and around 395 million sustain nonfatal injuries. Closer home, in the USA, a 2.4 per 100 (full-time workers) incidence rate of total recordable cases was observed last year in the private industry. The total number of nonfatal injuries and ailments was pegged at 2.6 million. Fatal occupational injuries, on the other hand, were close to 5500 in 2022. Hence, the importance of emergency medical services cannot be emphasized enough when it comes to ensuring workplace safety, worker wellness, and compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations. And if you are worried that the remoteness of your factory or construction site can make it challenging to get an injured worker timely aid, medical triage specialists can help.
As an employer in a heavy industry, read on to know why you should reduce wait times for injured employees, what the triage process is all about, and the role triage specialists play in emergency care.
What Is the Need to Reduce Wait Times?
When a worker meets with an injury, it is crucial to deal with it at the earliest so that a minor problem doesn’t escalate into something major or life-threatening. After all, too many such incidents can not only impact worker welfare negatively but also hamper your company’s image and reputation. You might also attract OSHA penalties.
Moreover, making provisions for emergency medical services for an injured employee through a triage process can ensure the latter feels seen and heard. It can alleviate their anxiety, help them get back to work soon, and regain the desired productivity level. In other words, with triage, it is possible to keep your company’s Days Away, Restricted, or Transferred (DART) rates low. Getting injured workers immediate medical attention can also control compensation costs and reduce business interruptions. So, both the employer and employee benefit.
What Does the Triage Process Involve?
A triage process is doctor-led or nurse-led and involves the remote assessment and evaluation of a patient’s condition via phone or video calls and advanced software. Doctor triage is more efficient than nurse triage as licensed physicians can handle a variety of cases, suggest tailored treatment plans, and prescribe necessary medicines, which nurses cannot.
Medical triage specialists ask various questions to understand the extent and type of injury and urgency of the situation. They then decide whether the same can be handled at the worksite or the patient needs an ER visit. These specialists recommend specific treatment plans too.
If necessary, they set up in-person appointments, refer patients to a hospital or clinic, and even collaborate with other doctors to ensure care continuity. Triage specialists also follow up to monitor the injured worker’s condition, revise treatments if necessary, and ensure fast recovery.
How Do Triage Specialists Reduce Wait Times?
These emergency medical services are available 24/7, which means you can seek medical help no matter when a worker gets injured. The employee doesn’t need to travel long distances to reach the emergency room (ER), wait for their turn at a doctor’s clinic, or bear the pain and discomfort for hours before emergency professionals can reach the remote worksite. Medical triage specialists pay immediate attention to the situation and offer the most-suited advice so you don’t have to deal with unnecessary delays, health risks, or legal hassles.
Here’s what they do:
- Collect Relevant Information: After asking for the patient’s name, work profile, and demographic details, triage specialists discuss the injury, chief complaint, comorbidities, and medical history. They note symptoms, assess visual or verbal cues, and determine the severity of the injury and the urgency of the care needed.
- Document Information and Observations: Triage specialists document the conversation end-to-end to make sure the patient receives the right treatment, and there is no misunderstanding or conflict later.
- Offer Advice: Post assessment of the documentation, medical triage specialists decide whether the injury can be managed at the workplace or requires an ER visit. In the case of doctor-led triage, licensed MDs can offer personalized treatment plans and prescribe medications. In the case of nurse-led triage, nurses explain the next steps to take. They might share first aid instructions for minor injuries or refer the patient to a doctor. In both cases, if the patient is referred to a hospital or other doctors, triage specialists will collaborate with the latter to ensure everyone is on the same page.
- Follow-Up: Medical triage specialists also follow up on the patient’s condition, find out if the symptoms are lingering or worsening, and decide if the treatment needs to be updated for speedier recovery.
Conclusion
Whether you operate in a sector like oil and gas, chemicals, mining, or construction, it is impossible to avoid worker injury incidents completely. However, by facilitating emergency medical services through remote triage, you can make sure the affected employee gets the help and treatment required at the earliest. As triage specialists are available round-the-clock, they can handle any situation (urgent or otherwise) in the best way possible.
Opting for medical phone triage and reducing wait times can also improve employee satisfaction, minimize the need for extended absence, enhance OSHA compliance, and strengthen your stand on workplace safety. You can also save on unnecessary ER and workers’ compensation costs in case of minor injuries and boost your company’s bottom line.
Reduce Wait Times with the Triage Specialists from WorkPartners
The triage process at WorkPartners is led by certified doctors who are experienced in handling a wide array of occupational injuries and illnesses. Backed by our knowledge of OSHA guidelines and the need for companies to maintain a low DART rate, we make sure to address workplace injuries immediately. Our emergency medical services reassure injured workers and help them to recover and resume work soon. This also means you can carry on with your business as usual with minimal disruption.
Therefore, whether you are facing a situation that needs urgent attention or want to improve your workplace’s safety in general, contact us today. For injury intervention, you can call us at (800) 359-5020, and for other queries, we are available at (651) 323-8654. You can also email us at info@workpartnersusa.com.
