According to several survey results, the worker’s comp industry is already in the process of changing in several ways. Those changes will become increasingly more evident in the coming years and the introduction of modern tech will play a crucial part in bringing them about. A survey by Mitchell on the future of tech in the worker’s compensation industry was conducted exclusively on about a hundred active workers, executives, and consultants in key positions within the sector. What it revealed matches results from other similar surveys in concurrent times, so it is possible to recognize and highlight some of the most interesting prospects.
Telemedicine is Expected to have the Greatest Impact
Nearly 60% of the participants agreed that advanced telemedicine is going to be the most important factor in changing the worker’s compensation segment for the better. The expected timeline for its far-reaching effects to take their full effect is said to be anything from 5 to 10 years. This is not at all surprising, given that telemedicine is already impacting the worker’s compensation industry on several counts.
There are several reasons as to why telemedicine is making such a big difference, and the following few are the technology’s most significant impacts at the moment.
Social Distancing – Post pandemic, telemedicine has continued to provide a safe and practical platform for injured workers to receive medical advice, without risking social interaction.
Cost Reduction – Even before the pandemic, telemedicine was decreasing the expenses associated with hiring medical professionals to constantly be present on-site.
Remote Treatment – Mining and drilling sites located in remote locations can have access to at least instructional medical care, thanks to telemedicine technology.
Growing Approval – Medicaid and Medicare have recognized telemedicine and incorporated several aspects of the technology into their own programs.
Video Calls – Thanks to the availability of high-definition video conferencing technology, qualified medical professionals can now asse4ss injured workers from anywhere in the world,
Remote Readings – Taking remote diagnostic and vital readings are a possibility to some extent, provided that the worksite has been fitted with the appropriate devices.
Remote Prescriptions – Physicians can now write verifiable prescriptions over a call, not to mention they can also review them for detecting fake prescriptions.
Artificial Intelligence is Expected to be a Close Second
Nearly everyone agrees that AI will be big in worker’s comp down the line, but they expect telemedicine to have an even greater impact. From a purely technological perspective, their expectations are only half-right. To consider AI software integration as a different category within the worker’s compensation industry is a mistake. In truth, almost every aspect of digital technology is now being impacted and improved by machine learning algorithms, whether we realize that fact or not. For example, when a telemedical video call is taking place between an afflicted worker and their doctor, the audio-visual feed quality is constantly being improved and finetuned by the business software’s in-built AI. Doctors can take remote readings of their patients because the smart software helps in making it possible. Be it in a mild, moderate, or obvious effect, intelligent software is already an intricate part of the digital worker’s compensation industry.
Automated Robotics
Automated robotics is different from AI because it represents intelligent machines and not just intelligent software. Examples would be the robotic arms that are capable of handling dangerous tasks at a faster rate, without risking human lives. In due time, automated robotics will change the worker’s compensation industry in two primary ways:
- More companies will adopt the available technology, thus reducing the chances of human workers getting injured on site.
- The robots will become more productive, versatile, and intelligent over the coming 5 – 10 years.
How it will affect employment rates is a debatable question, although it is expected that more skilled labor will be necessary to operate the complicated machinery.
What about those that Slip Through the Cracks?
There is no denying that technology has already improved the quality of worker’s compensation care, and it will continue to do so in the coming decade. However, that has not been sufficient to lessen the impact of a bad workplace injury in all cases. The technology might be there to help workers, but it is still controlled by the people in charge. As a result, injured/deceased workers/surviving family members will often have a difficult time while trying to receive the appropriate treatment and compensation that they need and deserve. The employer may not even carry worker’s comp insurance, despite it being mandatory in several states. Even when the employer does carry worker’s comp insurance, there might be pressure from the insurance company to underplay the injured worker’s unfortunate circumstances.
In such instances, contacting a workers compensation attorney at the earliest is highly advised, as they can help you obtain the financial settlements you deserve if you’ve suffered from this fate. Even if the worker is badly injured and cannot get out of their bed (at the hospital or in their own home), they can get in touch with a lawyer in no time who will be able to provide assistance. Proper legal representation immediately begins to hasten the whole process, which includes everything from filing the worker’s compensation claim with all necessary documents, to getting it through the insurance jargon and negotiations. All this makes it an easier ordeal to go through, allowing the victim to focus more on their recovery.
Even in the future, when all technology surrounding the worker’s compensation industry will be at its peak, there is no reason to believe that injured parties will not be underhanded or misled by the management. Nevertheless, it will gradually become more and more difficult for insurance companies to shrug their work comp responsibilities, because worker’s comp attorneys will have access to all the facts with greater ease. Other than that, the honest potential of providing true care to employees across all locations is going to become even huge, as we progress further down the decade.