Well-established Concentra Telemed Keeps Hard-pressed Employees Working

Due to the coronavirus, essential employees in health care, grocery supply chain, ecommerce fulfillment and transportation have an incomprehensible load. They work grueling hours to keep individuals and families alive, fed, and supplied with life’s basic provisions. But who takes care of them so they can be a lifeline for others? The answer is an occupational health provider like Concentra, the nation’s largest. Concentra continues to provide injury care, injury prevention and other employer health services at its medical centers nationwide, but that’s not all. Through foresight and vision, Concentra has developed and implemented a turnkey telemedicine solution that meets the unique challenges faced by employers during the pandemic while other providers are still working to develop a virtual care solution.

Three years ago, Concentra launched its telemedicine platform and then fueled its growth with continuous enhancements and features so employees in a majority of states could have access to quality injury care and physical therapy conveniently in the privacy of their home or workplace. Now, in the midst of the COVID-19 emergency, Concentra is expanding its well-established telemedicine services – Concentra Telemed® and Concentra Telerehab® – to address employers’ and employees’ most pressing needs at this critical time. Augmenting Concentra’s existing telemedicine solution, the following virtual services were added on March 30 and will be delivered by Concentra clinicians from Concentra medical centers during current hours of operation:

1. Return-to-work evaluations for COVID-19-recovered employees
2. General rechecks for employees previously seen by Concentra center clinicians
3. Physical therapy rechecks for employees previously seen by Concentra therapists

On March 29, 2017, Concentra CEO Keith Newton said, “The introduction of our telemedicine platform represents a significant advancement to meet the needs of our clients and deliver innovative products and services that improve the lives of America’s workforce.” With the same dedication, Concentra is helping to meet employers’ immediate needs today.

Get a virtual COVID-19 return-to-work evaluation

Asymptomatic employees who have been quarantined because they may have been exposed to the coronavirus, or employees who previously tested positive but now have no symptoms, can expect their employers to require a return-to-work evaluation before they can resume their job duties. Concentra Telemed enables employees to complete a virtual return-to-work evaluation by using any computer or mobile device that is equipped with a webcam and microphone.

Connect on a computer

The process is simple. Employees need to either create a new account or log onto an existing account at ConcentraTelemed.com. Once in the account, they should follow these steps:

1. Click “account”
2. Click “Add Service Key”
3. In the displayed field, type “Coronavirus”
4. Click “Add”
5. Click “Home”
6. Click on an available clinician to enter the virtual waiting room

From there, it’s just like any office visit. A Concentra team member will take employees’ health history and other vital information and connect employees with the clinician for examination. The results are sent to the employer electronically, so there are no worries about paperwork.

Connect on a mobile device

Employees will need to download and install the free “Concentra Telemed” app, which is available in the Apple App Store for iPhone or in the Google Play Store for Android. Once signed into an existing account or after creating a new account, employees will follow instructions that are a tiny bit different than when using a computer. They need to do this:

1. In the account, tap “...”
2. Select “Service Keys”
3. In the displayed field, type “Coronavirus”
4. Select “Save”
5. Tap “Services” and select an available clinician to enter the virtual waiting room
6. From that point on, the process is the same as on a computer.

Concentra Telemed virtual coronavirus return-to-work evaluations are available from Concentra medical centers from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., local time.

Get a telemedicine recheck visit

It’s now easier than ever for employees previously seen by a Concentra clinician to get a recheck. Just as with virtual return-to-work evaluations, a recheck appointment using Concentra Telemed is possible on either a computer or any mobile device.

Connect on a computer

To initiate a recheck appointment, employees should first call the Concentra center where they were first seen and ask to have an account created and an appointment scheduled. They will then receive an email to create a password and access Concentra Telemed at the time of the visit.

A few minutes before the appointment time, they will simply open the link provided in the email and use any of the major browsers – Google Chrome, Firefox, or Safari – and click the appointment icon to start a visit.

At the conclusion of the appointment, a Concentra team member will complete check out and schedule any needed follow-ups. Paperwork will be sent to the employee via email.

Connect on a mobile device

The process begins the same way as if using a computer. Employees call the Concentra center where they were previously seen, get an account, schedule a visit, and receive an email with a link to open at the time of the visit.

This time when opening the email on their mobile device a few minutes before the appointment, employees will follow instructions to download the Concentra Telemed app and create a password. From the home screen, they need to click on the appointment icon or the notification pop-up to start a telemedicine visit.

After the visit, a Concentra team member will complete the checkout and email paperwork to the employee.

Get a virtual physical therapy recheck visit

Employees who have had a previous appointment with a Concentra physical therapist can call the center they visited to schedule a recheck. They need to follow the same instructions as for a telemedicine recheck, using either a computer or mobile device.

Availability of these new services

The new virtual return-to-work evaluations, telemedicine rechecks, and physical therapy rechecks are available at all Concentra medical center locations during the center’s office hours. Please check the latest information for your local Concentra medical center because some have changed hours during the coronavirus response. These services are in addition to our standard Concentra Telemed and Concentra Telerehab services, which are available 24/7 for workers’ compensation cases.