Seventy-two per cent of working Canadians indicate that they would perceive their employer in a more positive light if their employer offered virtual care/telemedicine, found a recent RBC Insurance survey. Workers ages 18-34 were most interested with 78 per cent of those surveyed saying such services would improve their opinion of their employer.
"Many working Canadians face time constraints when visiting health practitioners, constraints that include wait times to see specialists like psychologists and psychiatrists, the availability of a healthcare practitioner and the ability to get time off work," says Julie Gaudry, Senior Director of Group Insurance, RBC Insurance. "Younger Canadians are even more likely to face these types of obstacles, so by implementing innovative programs such as virtual care or telemedicine, employers can alleviate some of the challenges, which in turn can help increase employee health and morale."
The survey indicated that younger workers are also more likely to value virtual care for mental health services including consulting mental health practitioners and/or video/telephone counselling than their older counterparts.
“This is important since younger Canadians are also more likely to report lower levels of wellbeing and mental health than older Canadians,” says RBC.
