Following a workplace accident or injury, the first few moments are the most critical. Who will be treating your injury? Where will you go? For workplace safety managers and employees alike, assessing the situation and the next steps for medical attention can be tricky. From broken bones, slip and fall injuries, to allergic reactions, having an OnSite Health clinic makes the decision much easier for everyone involved. However, there are different types of on-site clinics that workplaces may consider so understanding acute care vs primary care and their key differences is essential.
Check out These Services That Every Workplace Needs
Acute Care vs Primary Care Defined
In healthcare, there are many different options for treatment when suffering from injury, illness, or medical emergencies. Two types of sectors are acute care and primary care. While each sector can do aspects of the other, having an on-site clinic will ensure that your employees are receiving the care that they need and that your workplace is equipped to handle injury, illness, and medical emergencies on-site as they occur.
Acute care is considered a front-line position that requires our OnSite Health nurses to be prepared to perform a wide variety of tasks in diverse situations. Acute care focuses on short-term care for medical conditions such as severe injuries as well as emergency medical situations such as heart attacks, strokes, or allergic reactions. Our nurses will assess and monitor the employee’s conditions, check vital signs, develop care plans, and refer to an off-site physician if necessary. Our acute care clinics will also provide such things as:
- Preventative Care: routine health screenings and preventative vaccines
- Disease Management: Ongoing treatment and assessment for chronic health issues such as heart disease or diabetes.
- Wellness and Coaching: Nutrition, wellness, and health resources for weight loss, reducing stress, and more.
- Return to Work Program: Coordinates with employee, supervisor, physician, and third-party administrator.
- Fit for Duty Testing: Post-hire assessment to determine the ability for employees to serve in various roles.
- Claims Processing: Process short-term disability claims and coordinate all workers’ compensation claims.
- Emergency Management and Preparedness: Acts as liaison with base/site and municipal medical and emergency services during drills and actual emergencies.
On the other hand, primary care refers to general medicine. An on-site primary care clinic will provide similar services as your local primary care doctor, with the added convenience of being on-site at your workplace. Our OnSite Health practitioners will treat illness and provide all of the aforementioned services of an acute care clinic.
- Preventative Care: routine health screenings and preventative vaccines
- Disease Management: Ongoing treatment and assessment for chronic health issues such as heart disease or diabetes
- Wellness and Coaching: Nutrition, wellness, and health resources for weight loss, reducing stress, and more
- Return to Work Program: Coordinates with employee, supervisor, physician, and third-party administrator
While some organizations offer just one or the other, OnSite Health offers both acute and primary care employee health clinics.
OnSite Health’s On-Site Clinics
OnSite Health’s focus is ensuring that employees are treated immediately for medical emergencies while also providing the added benefit of access to an on-site primary care facility should an employer choose to offer it. The goal of implementing either type of an OnSite Health clinic is to proactively educate and treat employees’ health concerns and issues before they become a major health problem, but while other on-site clinics may only provide acute or primary care services, OnSite Health provides an all-in-one solution with our workplace primary care clinics.
Bring a Clinic to Your Organization
Regardless of the industry or size of the company, there are many benefits to on-site clinics for both employers and employees. By providing free, convenient access to healthcare, your company will see improved productivity and healthier and happier employees across the board. If you are interested in learning more about OnSite Health’s on-site clinic and nurse offerings, contact our team today.
