By Arvind Raichur, CEO and Co-founder of Eagle Intelligent Health

The fusion of technology and healthcare has reshaped how organisations approach employee wellness, and telehealth is at the forefront of this change. Daily, approximately 15% of South African employees miss work, costing businesses between R12 billion and R16 billion a year. What’s more, it's estimated that up to 25% of all employees in South Africa will experience depression or some kind of mental health problem annually. If left unchecked, not only could employers continue to see their bottom lines affected, but employees are risk of slipping into the cohort of unhealthy and unhappy workers.

Digital healthcare has real-world impacts

Healthy workforces are productive workforces. Numerous studies have shown that companies with higher wellbeing show a superior return on assets, generate more profits and command better valuations than businesses that do not. The beauty of telehealth, especially concerning employee wellness, is that it makes access to healthcare faster and easier.

Time is always of the essence when we’re talking about healthcare access. Physically visiting a doctor can be a deterrent and isn’t always possible if you can’t take time off work, or it’s a far distance to travel. Whatever the reason, the delay tends to make the situation worse. Telehealth expedites the process by allowing workers to skip transit and wait times and see a skilled doctor in 15 minutes or less.

When telehealth and AI meet healthcare

Just like everything in this day and age, artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to have a dramatic impact on employee wellness and healthcare in general. One of AI’s biggest strengths is its ability to collate, analyse and present large data sets in intelligible ways. With technology that is present in apps like Eagle Intelligent Health, we now have the ability to significantly augment a physician’s diagnostic capabilities while allowing a user to keep an up-to-date and digital medical record.

For an employer, these benefits are invaluable. If you think of your employees as corporate athletes, telehealth is one of the things that helps them stay in peak condition, which maximises your chances of great results.

Integrating telehealth into corporate settings

The integration of telehealth into worksite clinics and occupational health services presents a promising frontier for the future of employee health. By leveraging AI-driven algorithms, companies offer their employees the ability to optimise healthcare delivery, personalise interventions, and proactively identify health risks. This forward-looking approach empowers both employees to take ownership of their health and employers to cultivate a culture of wellness within their organisations.

Championing AI for healthier workplaces

By harnessing AI and the broader benefits of telehealth, companies are creating workplaces that prioritise the holistic wellbeing of employees, fostering a culture of health, happiness, and productivity while also keeping their profit margins healthy.