Health Shield Health Screening
Health Shield has launched a low cost health screening service using miniaturised technology for employers to offer, potentially, to their entire workforce.
The health screening module is available on Health Shield’s tailored company-paid Health Cash Plan products or as a standalone service, and can be delivered within the workplace or at any suitable location nearby.
Health Shield says the key benefits of the screening include:
Tailored diet and lifestyle advice.
Immediate test results.
Personalised follow-up reports.
Telephone advice post screening. This allows individuals to ask any further questions and so ensures they receive the preventative and diagnostic care they need, even if they don’t remember to ask questions when undergoing the screening.
If a follow-up is advised, a report is sent to the individual’s GP, with full technical data and reason for referral.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development’s (CIPD’s) latest Absence Management survey says conditions related to lifestyle factors are some of the top causes of long-term employee absence. Stress was top for 29% of employer respondents, followed by acute medical conditions (e.g. stroke, heart attack and cancer) at 23%, and mental ill-health at 13%. Consequently, regular health screening can help reduce the risk of such problems arising, or at least enable earlier intervention.
The screening is provided by Health Shield Wellbeing Services (previously known as Prevent plc), which is the specialist workplace health screening provider acquired by Health Shield earlier in 2017. Health Shield Wellbeing is managed and staffed by experienced health professionals who have been managing occupational health strategies for companies and local government authorities for many years.
Comment: Larger firms have used health screening for many years, although its use tends to be restricted to higher paid and more senior employees. Partly, that reflects the fact that existing technology could be big, expensive and hard to integrate into a busy workplace. Oh, and it could be expensive and waiting for results added its own problems.
Now however that picture is changing. Using technology no larger than a smartphone, results can be fast and accurate. The size of the technology means working within pretty much any work environment is now easy. Results based advice can also be delivered more effectively too.
Health Shield is now offering this technology, and advice, and that can be standalone or as part of a health cash plan. The cost is low, business interruption is minimised and the practical benefits should quickly overcome the initial cost. In turn, that means firms can look to extend health screening to more or all staff and in turn, this adds a valuable employee benefit.
It’s a neat solution and should do well.
Plus points: Low cost health screening; Uses modern technology to deliver fast, accurate results; Easy to fit in with a busy workplace without too much disruption.
Not so plus points: Not a panacea – health screening doesn’t replace other medical interventions and advice; Under and over-diagnosis are both possible; Adds cost in the short run for employers.
Website: http://www.healthshield.co.uk.
Rating (max 10): Innovation: 8. Overall: 8. Gold
Tags: Other; Health Shield