What Is Remote Triage and How It Works in Large Health Systems 

In the USA, heavy industries like oil & gas, chemicals, and mining place significant strain on healthcare systems due to frequent injuries such as burns, cuts, strains, and sprains. However, due to the far-flung location of most factories and work sites, remote triage in large health systems has turned out to be indispensable for addressing worker injuries and ailments promptly and effectively. A breakthrough in healthcare technology, remote triage eliminates the need to rush patients to the emergency room (ER) for every little problem or take the risk of transporting those who are seriously injured over long distances. 

Remote triage has many other benefits, which ultimately lead to better patient outcomes. Read on to understand this digital health innovation and understand how it works.  

Understanding Remote Triage 

Remote triage helps you avail immediate medical attention and guidance virtually when an employee gets injured at your factory or worksite. Licensed physicians adept at dealing with various occupational injuries assess the patient’s situation through a phone or video call before sharing the diagnosis and treatment plan. They prevent minor problems from escalating into something serious and are available round-the-clock. Through remote patient monitoring, triage doctors also ensure a smooth recovery. 

This is how remote triage works in healthcare management systems: 

• A certified MD notes the injured worker’s condition, symptoms, and medical history, including details like name, work profile, shift type, and demographics. 
• Based on Schmitt-Thompson protocols, they might ask additional questions to understand the problem better and determine its severity and urgency. 
• Next, the doctor will inform personnel whether the injury is minor and can be treated at the worksite or requires a visit to the ER. 
• If the injury can be treated at the worksite or factory, the triage doctor will prescribe medications, first aid, or any other personalized treatment plan.  
• If the doctor refers the injured employee to the ER, they will coordinate with the hospital or clinic and share all the necessary information to ensure continuity in the treatment. 
• Triage doctors also schedule follow-up consultations to ensure the patient is recovering as expected, check for any hiccups, and revise the treatment plan if required. 
• In large health systems, triage physicians also care for an injured employee’s mental well-being by addressing doubts and queries and offering reassurance. This holistic approach speeds up recovery. 
• Triage professionals make sure to keep all patient data and communication confidential as well. 

Advantages of Remote Triage in Large Health Systems 

In 2023, 946,500 nonfatal injuries and ailments in the USA’s private sector were found to require days away from work (DAFW). As an employer, you already know how a high Days Away, Restricted, or Transferred (DART) rate can interrupt business operations and hamper revenue. Luckily, remote triage is one of those cutting-edge virtual healthcare solutions that benefit both injured workers and employers in multiple ways: 

1. Immediate Access to Medical Care: Remote triage eliminates the need for the patient to travel far or spend hours in the waiting room and risk complications. Triage doctors immediately assess, diagnose, and recommend the proper treatment for injuries that don’t need ER visits. This works well for the patient, employer, and large health systems, allowing focus on more urgent or severe cases and allocating resources wisely. 
2. Reduced Healthcare Cost: Not every injury calls for an expensive ER visit. And since triage doctors can categorize the urgency and severity of injuries, they can help you handle most problems onsite with medications or first aid. This means you get to control your costs better and improve overall profitability. 
3. Better Regulatory Compliance: Sending every injured employee to the ER without good cause will spike your number of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recordable incidents. And this can not only attract financial penalties but also impact your reputation and image as an employer. Existing and potential workers might consider your workplace unsafe, and you can lose out on decent talent in this way. With remote triage healthcare technology, you can keep OSHA recordables low.      
4. Speedy Recovery: Since remote triage in large health systems facilitates prompt and personalized treatment for various conditions, injured employees recover quickly and resume work as soon as possible. This keeps the DART rate low, minimizes business disruption, and helps strengthen your bottom line. There is no unnecessary hospitalization, so healthcare organizations can efficiently channel their facilities toward more serious situations. 
5. Improved Employee Satisfaction: Access to immediate medical aid boosts employee satisfaction as they feel cared for and secure. Their trust in you increases, and they return to work more loyal than ever. This enhances your revenue inflow and employee retention rate and keeps workers’ compensation costs low. Employees don’t feel the need to file frequent claims against injuries that can be treated easily and quickly.  

Conclusion 

Remote triage in large health systems is a win-win for injured employees, employers, and medical establishments. While employees receive prompt treatment and resume work as soon as possible, employers control costs, ensure workplace safety, comply with OSHA, and maintain a profitable stance. Healthcare organizations, on the other hand, can concentrate on more severe situations and utilize resources efficiently.  

Hence, partnering with a provider of industrial medical services is a smart move, regardless of the heavy industry in which you operate. No matter how far you are from the city or urban amenities, remote triage can rescue you in big and minor emergencies. 

Choose WorkPartners to Make the Most of Remote Triage 

At WorkPartners, workplace safety is our top priority because we know that your reputation, credibility, and success as an employer in heavy industries depend on it.

With a deep understanding of OSHA regulations and the importance of keeping recordable and DART rates low, we provide remote doctor triage services to ensure workplace injuries are handled properly and promptly. Additionally, we offer workplace safety consultations to help prevent incidents and improve employee training on precautionary measures.

Eager to know more? Contact us today. For injury intervention, call (800) 359-5020; for any other concern or question, call (651) 323-8654. You can also email us at info@workpartnersusa.com.