As some businesses resume in-person operations, employers are worried about managing the health of their employees. The current COVID-19 pandemic is not over, and companies do not want to spread the virus among employees or customers. The goal is to get businesses open again, but doing so safely is easier said than done. The world is combating an invisible virus, and employers are looking for a way to keep people safe while reopening. Thankfully, technology has provided some solutions in the form of health monitoring apps for businesses. With the help of employee health tracking apps, employers can do their best to ensure no sick people are spreading their illness. These apps are not a perfect system, and there are limitations, but using these apps can help keep employers, employees, and customers safe.
Health Monitoring Apps Vs. EMR Systems
It is critical to differentiate between health monitoring apps and EMR systems. EMR systems are professional medical record systems used by healthcare professionals. EMR systems commonly contain patient medical histories and other confidential information an employer is not legally allowed to access due to HIPAA. EMR systems are vital for medical offices to manage patient data and possibly share records with other medical offices as needed. Employee health monitoring apps are very different and are nowhere near as detailed or comprehensive as EMR systems.
Employee health monitoring apps primarily rely on self-reporting, and reactions to employee reports are entirely left up to management. These apps are limited by HIPAA, which means there are some questions employers are not legally allowed to ask to protect employee medical privacy. Most health monitoring apps include a quick survey where an employee reports their symptoms, if any and their daily temperature. Each app has a different system, questionnaire, and other features employers can choose to use.
SoCo COVID-19 Employee Check
Sonoma country developed this app on both Android and IOS to help businesses reopen safely amid the ongoing pandemic. Employees are asked to complete a short assessment every day before work to check for COVID-19 related symptoms and potential exposure to someone with the virus. Employers are tasked with ensuring no employee has a temperature over 100 F and that everyone is wearing appropriate face coverings according to local health guidelines. Limited aggregate data from the app is shared with the county so that health officials can learn about the spread of the virus.
Harri Health Check
Harri built its health monitoring app into Harri Live and TeamLive. The health check includes symptom screenings and temperature checks, along with a handful of features for managers. Screening questions can be tailored and customized by location, state, county, or region. Employees can log their symptom assessment before arriving at a location for work, and those employees that do not pass the assessment are told to go home while the app sends an alert to HR. When employees are cleared to work, managers can use in-app AI to take pictures of employees when they clock in to ensure they are wearing the correct PPE. The pictures create a visual trail of proof that employees are healthy and taking the necessary precautions to work safely.
The app also lets you print health certification stickers so customers can see the business is taking the matter seriously. The sticker designs can also be customized for restaurant fronts or delivery runners. The app also includes extensive data tracking that can be restricted, so only approved employees can view the data. The app logs everything, whether an employee was healthy and approved to work, was sent home ill, or another action was taken.
Vivid Learning Infectious Disease Tracking Tool
The new Vivid Learning Infectious Disease Tracking Tool was designed to work with organizations of any size to track the virus and monitor employee health. Workers can log their symptoms, notify co-workers of sick employees, push alerts for management to track sick workers who are isolating at home, and managers can use more real-time data monitoring features to keep their organization safe. Managers can set automatic responses when employees report their symptoms, so those workers that report an illness are told to stay home while managers are notified.
The current pandemic is affecting people worldwide, and businesses are no expectation. Employers must take every step possible to ensure workers and customers are not being exposed to the virus. With the help of various health tracking apps, organizations can do their part to limit the disease’s spread.
