Dr. Marc Robin, medical director with virtual care and telemedicine provider, Dialogue, says research indicates that one in four people walk around with undocumented medical issues which can lead later on to prolonged leaves of absence and more disability days, all of which are avoidable with preventative identification and treatment.
“One in four Canadians don’t know they have hypertension; 20 per cent don’t know they have diabetes,” he told those gathered for a webinar to discuss the company’s findings and promote its new preventative health panel offering. “These are problems that become bigger and lead to employees having to leave the workforce or take sick days or be on disability days.”
The problem, he adds, is that crafting a complete picture of a patient’s health takes time – time that doctors often don’t have, if the employee in question has a doctor at all.
“Preventative care is not often executed perfectly in the real world because it takes time and it’s a little bit sophisticated if you want to personalize it and have it be meaningful,” he told those gathered.
He also notes that benefits plans tend to be reactive, addressing issues as they arise. “That’s not a criticism. It is really a reflection on how the healthcare system operates currently,” he says, noting also that 74 per cent of Canadians surveyed for the company by Leger, weren’t able to see their family physician the same or next day when help is needed. “That’s not a very good statistic,” he says.
“When access is delayed or conditions stay undetected, conditions continue to progress silently and they become bigger problems. They may require more sophisticated care,” he explains. “That translates directly into unplanned, missed days at work, disability days and a decrease in productivity. That’s exactly what we’re seeing now.”
