A medical emergency is all the more urgent when it happens many miles offshore or in a distant location where access to medical facilities is extremely difficult. Even the most safety-oriented work sites can experience the occasional accident, whether it’s due to an oversight, equipment failure or a simple case of human error. There are many possible causes of human injury in oil or gas drilling operations, so it’s imperative that companies adopt strategies to address these incidents quickly and responsibly.
The Technology of Telemedicine
Calling a doctor for a consult is certainly not a new practice, but developments in computer and information technology allow companies to take remote healthcare to the next level. Essentially, telemedicine is the administration of professional medical services remotely. With the right tools, it can include everything from basic physical examinations to life-saving emergency intervention. Pharma-Safe telemedicine units equipped with video chat cameras, microphones and other digital tools allow our call center of occupational medicine doctors to examine patients and communicate with remote medical personnel on work sites in real time, keeping your employees healthy and safe.
Benefits for Workers
Telemedicine offers several key benefits to employees, not the least of which is expedient emergency care. Prompt evaluation and treatment of an injury or symptoms like chest pain can reduce the risk of long-term damage that would come from postponing medical intervention. Remote medicine gives injured or sick workers relatively quick access to specialists who can direct treatment procedures if necessary, as opposed to immediate and costly emergency medical transport, which can prolong the period of time between the injury and treatment. In some instances, employees can be diagnosed and treated by remote paramedics quickly with telemedicine, eliminating the need for an airlift to the nearest hospital.
Value for Employers
Employers have a lot to gain from working with an established provider of telemedicine services like Pharma-Safe. Drilling operators are required to provide a certain level of medical and health services to their workers, but hiring full-time medical staff can be expensive and logistically-challenging, which is why many companies find that they get a lot more value by renting telemedicine equipment and working with remote paramedics
Remote medical intervention and safety audits can reduce the severity of injuries and reduce the incidence of long-term injuries, which is good news for both employees and employers. Cutting down on work-related injuries lessens downtime on the drilling site and reduces the legal and financial obligations associated with these injuries. Telemedicine can also limit the number of unnecessary medical transportation operations since doctors can ascertain if the health issue warrants off-site treatment or not.
Taking Advantage of Telemedicine
Companies involved in oil or gas operations face numerous challenges and considerations, but prompt and effective medical care should not be one of them. Rather than investing substantial time and money into training a limited number of staff members, operators can use telemedicine to give their employees access to diverse and specialized medical support.
As a provider of remote health and safety services, Pharma-Safe utilizes a network of licensed professionals and the digital infrastructure to give operators the vital medical support they need in the field. The Pharma-Safe call center is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to help our clients address urgent and ongoing concerns as they arise. Contact us today to learn more about how our telemedicine services can help care for your employees.
