Telemedicine has largest comp impact in pandemic: Survey

Thirty-five percent of workers compensation claims organizations that have implemented new technology during the COVID-19 pandemic say telemedicine is the technology that has had the largest effect on business, according to survey results released by San Diego-based comp technology company Mitchell International, Inc.

Of the 100 workers compensation professionals surveyed, 35% said telemedicine and predictive analytics are the technologies that will have the biggest impact on the industry within the next five to 10 years, followed by mobile technology coming in at a distant third place at 8.5%.

Fifty-four percent of respondents said the most valuable applications of telemedicine — driven largely by the rising need for remote health care — will be for provider visits. Thirty-five percent said they foresee predictive analytics being used best for claim triage, severity or reserving.

Mitchell's survey also uncovered the biggest claims challenges experienced by workers comp professionals: 22% ranked adapting to COVID-19 pandemic challenges as the top obstacle their organization is facing today, followed by workflow efficiency (19%) and cost pressures (18%). Other hurdles reported include return-to-work time, employee turnover, IT budget, keeping up with regulatory changes, and pharmaceutical management.

More insurance and workers compensation news on the coronavirus crisis here.