Insight

This quarter IPRS Health have been doing some soul searching within the Private Medical Insurance (PMI) Market and recognise that member experience and journey is a priority within health schemes. Integral to this journey is the provision of an integrated solution, giving members an end to end health package that instils a sense of confidence for their premium.

So we've taken a leaf from Vitality Health's well versed book. They provide an all encompassing product to their members from: Understanding member’s health, motivating members to improve their health and helping members to get healthier. So in this vein, here's some free advice on us, as this quarter IPRS Health brings you some news and advice about ‘Ageing’.

As we get older we can hear, feel and see the signs of ageing. From when we get up in the morning to when we get home for the evening our body starts to tells us in many ways that it is time to start looking after ourselves. Whether it’s a clicking ankle, a stiff back or having slightly less energy than we did 10 years ago, we can do simple things to simply age well…

• Do something you enjoy; ‘do something rather than nothing’ – find a hobby that gives you a pleasant experience. It doesn’t have to be physical! Positive mental stimulation can improve our mood and make us feel like we have more energy. Feeling better may be followed by the motivation to do something more physically demanding as you begin to feel positive about enjoying new activities and experiences. Remember! Start slowly and build up gradually... it will ensure you feel less resentful and more motivated to give whatever you choose another go.

• Exercise regularly – We know that as we age our muscle strength and endurance can reduce. This can be greatly impacted by what we do for work! If we sit for the majority of the day, it would make sense that our joints and muscles will follow this pattern of sedentary activity and may not be ready for the occasional ‘run around with the kids’, ‘5 aside game’ or ‘long walks on those weekend getaways’. The NHS suggest 150mins of exercise, twice a week combining moderate aerobic exercise (cycling and brisk walking) and strength exercises involving large muscle groups back, chest, legs and arms etc.

• You can do simple things to make things a bit more real! Test yourself – when was the last time you were able to tie your shoe laces by sitting on a chair and bringing your feet towards you rather than now….bringing your knee out to the side…! How many times a day do you raise your arms above your head and stretch? – imagine why you sometimes feel a bit stiff around the neck and shoulders. The shoulders are a multi-axial joint meaning they are designed to be moved in all directions so make sure you're stretching and keeping those joints in use. Use our Break Away Challenge to help yourself integrate exercise and micro-breaks into your daily work life.

This quarter IPRS Health has been focusing on what makes a business tick. Clocks used to but with the digital age we are not sure the last time we heard a clock tick. People would have hopefully been your first answer, however with the increasing pressure of modern business, organisations are continually striving for greater efficiency and more productivity from their systems and processes. From the moment we wake up to the moment we go to sleep, our days may have been a whirlwind of typing, touch screening, tethering and teleconferencing which has become our ‘Virtual World’. An eMeet is now a popular term for those introduced over email or webchat. Our hearts, minds and bodies are forever caught up in the cycle of ‘being more productive’, ‘doing more’ and ‘being more’ - everything is becoming a Smart Solution. But what can we do to give time back to ourselves and our employees who find themselves in this perpetual cycle of demands?

Work place stress is a hot topic, along with the ‘time to talk and time to change’ movement to combat ill mental health we can do simple things to keep ourselves and our employees in good mental health amidst a constantly changing landscape.

We know that work related stress is one of the single most commonly reported causes of occupational ill health in Great Britain, along with this brings the increasing concern of Work place fatigue and Presenteesim. Evidence shows that mental health issues are on the rise within the workplace.

Our Solution is Smart! Keep it simple, literally give time back to yourselves and your employees. The benefits of taking micro-breaks tend to be prescribed to those already suffering with mental health or musculoskeletal disorders, or they're necessitated by those that Vape or those that still smoke (a dying breed… for want of a better phrase). Those who don’t indulge in a micro-break away from the desk or work environment are destining themselves to be one of the aforementioned. So keep in mind that micro-breaks shouldn't just be utilised after the fact. But rather they can be a simple and effective way of keeping your cool and keeping on top of your tasks. Don't be fooled into the belief that more time at your desk equals more work as often it can be detrimental to your productivity.

The message is simple – if you want to maintain productivity, efficiency, reduce your risk of work place accidents and ill-health, reduce the risk of workplace stress and fatigue then...

Take a break… take a breath… take a moment…

Turning a blind eye to this simple mantra for a healthy working practice… may end up more like…

Take medication… take time off work… and too late…

This quarter IPRS Health has focused on the preventative and rehabilitative solutions available within the employer liability and public liability markets and what the expectations are for delivery of health solutions to the insurance market. We believe ‘prevention is better than cure’, early intervention and effective rehabilitation enables timely return to function, reduces case length and has a positive impact on a patient – this story is inevitably common place ‘post-claim’. But what about ‘Pre-claim’? Even before an employee or customer suffers an injury, IPRS Health believe workplace solutions, health promotion and manual handling can reduce potential injury and claim frequency. Preventative programmes that can complement early intervention, rehabilitation needs can be capitalised on. When we think of the ways to mitigate claims and promote employee and customer well-being in this area the possibilities are endless.

If injuries do happen the best thing to do is support individuals and communicate with them promptly to understand their needs. Having rehabilitation available whether the injury is work-related, non-work related or work exacerbated places the individual at the heart of intervention which should set out to ‘Help them regain their health’ to lessen the impact of an injury on their function and productivity.

The HSE suggest there are on average 622,000 self-reported non-fatal injuries per year, the cost to employers for injuries and illness amount to 2.8 billion pounds per year in productivity. The Association of British Insurers’ (ABI) key facts for 2016 suggests that liability insurers paid out 7.2m per day, of which 2.3m was for employer’s liability.

The ABI recognise that timely solutions are most effective when handling claims. The solutions that exceed this expectation are those that contain a digital solution making access and experience second to none. Health and Rehabilitation solutions need to address a wide audience. IPRS Health provide access to virtual rehabilitation assessment and treatment interventions along with conventional face to face solutions. Remember! – get claims referred early, get pre-claims referred early! Early intervention reduces recovery time and highlights a proactive attitude in supporting employees. If you're looking to prevent claims – learn more about our preventative services; workplace solutions and wellness days.