Integrated health is an exciting, growing trend in United States healthcare that promises a faster, more comprehensive, and cost efficient approach to delivering care and treatment to patients.
Beyond the benefits to a person’s overall well being, it’s a fantastic tool for employers, too. Let’s examine what integrated healthcare is and why it’s a great way to attract and keep top talent.
What is Integrated Healthcare?
Integrated healthcare is a collaborative approach to patient care that combines the physical, mental, behavioral, and financial aspects of healthcare. The goal is to provide holistic treatment and prevention for a wide array of chronic conditions.
Compared to the siloed approach of traditional healthcare, the multidisciplinary nature of integrated healthcare systems requires tight coordination and information sharing among all of the key players in a patient’s care. It includes health specialists from different fields, such as doctors, nurses, behavioral psychologists, therapists, and even health insurance navigators.
Mind-Body Connection and the Integrated Healthcare Model
One of the fundamental principles of integrated healthcare models is covering both the patient’s physical and mental needs.
Most patients going through hospital care might also suffer from depression, stress, or other mental health concerns that can negatively affect their treatment.
Addressing the patient’s mental state alongside physical symptoms can dramatically improve the quality of care.
While the integrated health model is still a growing trend, there are already many excellent integrated care examples, such as Eden Health’s Integrated 360 care model, a centralized system that gives employees access to their own dedicated Care Team to help them achieve their health goals.
Who Offers Integrated Care?
For integrated health services to be successful, it needs to include a diverse team of health professionals covering various disciplines and areas of healthcare.
This starts with medical and mental practitioners, including doctors, nurses, medical assistants, and therapists directly relevant to the patient’s immediate medical needs.
Behavioral health professionals, who address the behavioral and mental impacts of a health condition are also a crucial part of the Care Team. This may include psychologists, family therapists, care managers, and social workers.
Lastly, insurance navigators can provide support when it comes to the more administrative tasks associated with healthcare, such as verifying complex medical bills, proactively checking the costs of scheduled procedures, and helping to find in-network referrals.
Benefits of Integrated Healthcare Systems
Integrated healthcare systems are beneficial for everyone involved, from doctors to patients themselves. They are especially advantageous to employers and employees.
- Continuous care for employees
One of the main factors that can slow down employees’ treatment is the lack of medical information transferred between healthcare providers. An integrated healthcare system ensures that employees get comprehensive treatment no matter how many providers are involved.
- Preventative care leads to long-term benefits
An integrated healthcare approach priorities preventative care, resulting in healthier outcomes for patients and long-term cost savings for employers.
- Attract and retain employees
Health benefits are a top factor for potential candidates. An integrated healthcare plan can help an employer stand out from their competition, as it highlights the importance of employee health to the organization.
Access Integrated Care
Eden Health, however, as a direct-to-employer platform, provides employees 24/7 access to integrated healthcare via one easy-to-use app. Members can book in-person or virtual appointments with providers, get support for billing and other insurance issues, and get treatment for most ailments via the app. Eden Health also works seamlessly with your current insurance broker and plan.
Contact us today for more information on how Eden Health can help augment your employee benefits.
