Workplace health and safety are critically important to maintain good production and a healthful work environment. Sick or injured workers could become a liability if their conditions lead to other workers becoming sick or injured. A great solution is a telehealth visit to a doctor.
The recent global pandemic emphasizes the need to pay close attention to health and staying home when workers are sick or even when they might be sick. The ability to work remotely is helping many workers to avoid sick days. But those who have to work in a traditional setting are more prone to catching illnesses from other workers.
A telehealth visit enables workers to see a qualified medical doctor and obtain a doctors’ note for work when illnesses or injuries require them to stay home and get better. Qualified medical professionals can ask the routine medical questions for a variety of illnesses and ailments. But instead of doing it in the same room, they can do it remotely.
When You Need a Doctor’s Note for Work
Contents
Workers are human, and the human body is frail. Sickness and injuries happen that make it impossible or otherwise potentially dangerous to work. Something as simple as a common cold could go around and render many workers sick. If one or more of them have complications, that cold bug might turn into a dangerous condition – like pneumonia.
When a pandemic is afoot, like COVID-19, it is important for sick workers to stay at home. Some states even mandated quarantines for people how test positive for COVID-19 or who traveled from locales with high illness rates to others with lower rates.
While the recent pandemic is a rare example of an illness causing a global pandemic, it does show how serious a problem could become when sick workers do not stay home. But seeing a doctor is not always possible or even a good idea when a worker is especially sick. A virtual visit is a great solution for obtaining a doctor’s note for work.
Many Ways to Refer to Telehealth Services
Telehealth services go by many names, But they all refer to the same thing – remote health services. You can contact a medical doctor or other licensed medical professional based on an appointment schedule. Some of the more commonly used terms are:
- Virtual appointment, which also can be called a “virtual visit” and refers to a live, two-way communication done while using audiovisual software or mobile apps.
- Telemedicine, which refers to medical assistance provided over the phone, online or with a mobile app.
- EHealth, which refers to an online virtual appointment done over the computer with the assistance of electronic devices like your computer.
- MHealth, which refers to a virtual appointment done using mobile technology and a cellphone, tablet or other mobile device.
- Remote monitoring, which refers to the remote collection of important patient health-monitoring data using digital tools.
The remote health appointments are available remotely for conditions that do not threaten a worker’s life. A virtual doctor appointment also could result in prescription medication being provided for the patient. The doctor or other qualified medical professional could contact your pharmacy to arrange prescription medication as needed.
Virtual Doctor Appointments Ensure Community Health
A telehealth visit provides workers with a virtual doctor’s appointment that enables them to discuss their conditions. Doctors, registered nurses and other qualified medical professionals can help with an initial diagnosis of illnesses and physical ailments that do not require more extensive diagnostic tools.
If you are sick with the cold or flu, a virtual visit could confirm it. But something that requires a more detailed physical examination required going to the doctor’s office. So do X-rays and other diagnostic tools that can help to determine the extent of any injuries you might have suffered.
If you have bronchitis or pneumonia, you need to see a doctor for a more thorough examination. You also might have to spend time in the hospital if the condition is bad enough to significantly threaten your health.
When to Seek a Doctor’s Note for Work
Many situations enable workers to obtain a doctor’s note for work remotely. Their employers have the right to demand medical documentation to ensure a worker has a legitimate medical condition that requires time away from work.
Whenever a worker asks for extended sick leave beyond a day or two, an employer could require a doctor’s note. Many job providers will accept sick calls with no questions asked. When those absences become too frequent or cause production to slow down, your employer could require a doctor’s note or require you to return to work.
You can request paid time off in accordance with the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). But your employer has the right to request certification from your doctor to affirm the condition. The same goes for requests for time away from work due to a claimed disability.