By Debra Spamer, vice president of business development

You’ve probably heard the phrase “24/7 nurse triage” thrown around before. But what exactly does 24/7 nurse triage entail? And why is it so important to have available for employees?

Here are your answers:

1. Accidents Can Happen at Any Time

Workplaces aren’t always restricted to 9 to 5 hours and guess what, neither are injuries.

When workers have 24/7 access to a nurse, their injuries can be addressed right after they happen.

Employees can rest assured that, in case of an accident, their employer has provided them with immediate access to a medical professional.

 

2. Leave it to the Experts

When employees sustain injuries in the workplace, the decision making typically goes to the supervisors. Should they send the employees home? Do they need to see a doctor? Or do they maybe even need to go to the emergency room?

These are decisions that should be made by medical experts, not supervisors.

With 24/7 nurse triage, injured workers have access to the medical experts they need. Supervisors no longer have to bear the responsibility of making a medical decision.

 

3. The “Day of Injury” Advantage

Making 24/7 nurse triage available allows accidents to be reported on the day they occur — meaning employers get the “day of injury” advantage.

This is the critical point in the workers’ compensation process where employers can have the biggest impact on medical care and RTW results.

When nurse triage isn’t available, injured workers may seek an inappropriate level of care, like ER or non-preferred provider, or make their own medical decisions delaying return-to-work.

 

4. Reduce ER and Doctor Visits

When supervisors are left as the decision-makers for workplace injuries, they tend to err on the side of caution, sending injured workers to urgent care or even the emergency room.

For employees, this can mean unnecessary hours of waiting to speak to a medical professional. For employers, it means piles of medical bills.

Because 24/7 nurse triage gives injured employees direct access to a nurse, they get immediate medical attention. They may even resolve their injury with self-care advice, as is the case 36% of the time. This reduces ER and doctor visits — saving both time and money.

 

5. Lower Workers’ Comp Claims and Costs

As you know by now, having 24/7 nurse triage available leads to appropriate medical care for employees.

When triage nurses can provide injured workers with self-care advice, this dissolves the need for further medical assistance, reducing claims by up to 20%.

If injuries require further medical attention, injured workers are referred to employer-designated facilities.

With fewer claims and the right medical facilities being used, employers can see their workers’ comp costs drop by up to 30%.

 

6. Immediate Injury Reporting

Because 24/7 nurse triage allows for injuries to be reported right away, employers can get injury reports moments after an employee has worked with a nurse.

This means no more waiting for employees to report their injuries. No more trying to find witnesses to explain what happened. No more confusion.

With clear, concise, and quick reporting, workers’ comp claims are off to a much smoother start.

 

7. Defense Against Litigation

When injured workers receive nurse triage through a contact center, every interaction is recorded.

This means that both quality assurance is managed, and every incident is documented.

Having records and documentation available is crucial in avoiding fraud and reducing litigation.

 

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Learn something new about 24/7 nurse triage? Want to learn more? Give us a call at 888-817-9282.