The coronavirus pandemic is accelerating several health care trends in 2021, including the growth of virtual care and a focus on mental and emotional well-being, according to the Business Group on Health. The Washington-headquartered organization predicts the rapid expansion and availability of virtual care in 2020 will likely lead to increased options, including weight management, […]
The coronavirus pandemic is accelerating several health care trends in 2021, including the growth of virtual care and a focus on mental and emotional well-being, according to the Business Group on Health. The Washington-headquartered organization predicts the rapid expansion and availability of virtual care in 2020 will likely lead to increased options, including weight management, […]
With virtual health-care visits increasing as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, telemedicine should become a permanent part of Ontario’s health-care system, according to a new report by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce. It recommended the Ontario government develop a comprehensive framework for virtual care in Ontario, including support for employers’ continued investment in […]
The Green Shield Benefits Association, part of the Green Shield Canada group of companies, is acquiring Benecaid Health Benefit Solutions Inc. The company’s current leadership team will continue to operate the business under the Benecaid brand, according to a press release. “Benecaid’s track record of service excellence, growth and innovation, including its Honeybee digital platform, […]
Internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy is reaching pockets of the population that had never previously accessed mental-health care and achieving clinical improvement for users, said Adam Kelly, chief commercial officer at MindBeacon Group, during Benefits Canada’s 2020 Mental Health Summit. iCBT, which is delivered asynchronously either through guided text conversations with a trained psychologist or social […]
Long before the coronavirus pandemic disrupted everyone’s lives, a large portion of the working population had mental-health issues that affected their jobs and performance. But the pandemic has drastically amplified mental-health issues such as anxiety, insomnia and depression, in turn spiking the demand for reliable resources, said Karen Grant, vice-president of strategy and operations at Teladoc Health, […]
Two-thirds of employees making short- or long-term disability claims cited their workplace or work-related issues as a cause, but despite this only one in three Canadian employers has a mental-health strategy in place. “Businesses may have several piecemeal strategies but not an overall strategy and the result is that their efforts either amount to nothing […]
Technology and artificial intelligence can play important roles in helping to address mental-health issues, but they also have the potential to greatly exacerbate them, according to Bill Wilkerson, executive chairman at Mental Health International and an advisory board member at EQ Care. Speaking at Benefits Canada’s 2020 Mental Health Summit on Nov. 13, he pointed to studies […]
With the coronavirus pandemic expected to double the demand for mental-health service, digital technology is opening the door to a new normal, with shorter wait times for services, more personalized treatment options and improved integration between public and private providers. Over the past year, there’s been a rapid acceleration of the need for digital programming to fill gaps […]
The majority (70 per cent) of Canadians said they believe virtual health care represents the future, according to a new survey conducted by Environics Research and sponsored by Dialogue. The survey also found the demand for more convenient virtual-care services is on the rise, with nearly half (46 per cent) of respondents saying the coronavirus pandemic has made […]