Healthcare is a crucial aspect of business function. The ability to protect and take care of employees’ health is essential to the continued operation and success of a company. However, there are many ways to monitor and treat employee health, and knowing the best method can often be difficult. Prevention programs give companies the ability to protect employee health while improving the bottom line.
Understanding the different types of healthcare is a long process, but it essentially boils down to two categories, proactive and reactive healthcare.
The Difference Between Proactive And Reactive Healthcare
It’s important to understand the differences between these two methods of healthcare in order to decide which is better for your company. Here are some of the key differences you should be aware of.
Reactive Healthcare
Reactive healthcare takes place after symptoms manifest. It is the more common type of healthcare. For example, you don’t go to the doctor to set a bone that hasn’t been broken yet. Reactive healthcare addresses issues after they arise.
Many companies wait to take action until an employee shows symptoms of illness. Unfortunately, this can be difficult to manage and can lead to the spread of disease in the workplace.
Proactive Healthcare
Proactive healthcare, on the other hand, addresses health issues by working to prevent them altogether. For example, proactive healthcare can be as simple as washing your hands before eating to avoid getting sick from germs.
While proactive healthcare in the workplace may not be as common, it is proven to be an extremely effective way to prevent unnecessary disease in the workforce.
The Benefits Of Proactive Healthcare
There are numerous benefits to proactive healthcare and prevention programs. They can help the company’s bottom line and save money in multiple ways and should be implemented as part of your company’s processes. Here are a few ways prevention programs can help you:
- OSHA estimated that for every $1 invested in safety programs, companies could save $4-$6 as illness declines
- Prevention programs lead to less illness, which means fewer employees will miss work
- Employees in good health will cause fewer accidents at work
- Money saved on accident investigation and repairing damaged property due to accidents
- Less worker stress, which can cause a decrease in productivity, after an accident
- Fewer accidents mean less turnover, thus saving money on hiring and training
- Helps to avoid a poor business reputation, which creates difficulty in attracting skilled workers
While this list is by no means exhaustive, it does illustrate how proactive healthcare can limit accidents and company expenses. Consider implementing a prevention program today to help your business’s bottom line!
Implementing Prevention Programs
Implementing proactive healthcare is simple. There are several easy ways to start addressing healthcare proactively today!! Here are a few tips to get you started.
- Require employees to wash their hands regularly
- Encourage regular breaks throughout the day for water and stretching
- Require routine health checks such as temperature checks, blood pressure, etc.
Beyond simple health and hygiene, your preventative measures will change depending on your company. For instance, proactive healthcare would look very different for a warehouse and a craft store. However, every business has its own unique threats to employee health. Take time to analyze your business and identify areas that could potentially harm someone’s health, and then work to eliminate these risks to minimize the impact. Proactive solutions are always going to be more effective than reactive healthcare.
How Can We Help?
Work Health Solutions offers comprehensive healthcare solutions for your medical needs. Our qualified team treats patients and employers alike and always provides top-quality service. Our quality service is backed by years of experience working with academic and research institutions, corporate healthcare, Fortune 25 companies, small governments, and local businesses. Reach out today with any questions you may have about how we can assist you!
