In today’s busy business world, the well-being of employees who travel or work abroad is key to a company’s success. However, traditional healthcare often misses the mark when it comes to their unique challenges, like adjusting to new cultures and feeling isolated.
Social prescribing and lifestyle medicine offer better solutions. These approaches focus on community support and healthy living to help employees thrive.
Social Prescribing
Social prescribing connects employees with local support networks, tackling the social factors that affect health. This approach empowers them to enhance their wellbeing through lifestyle changes and community involvement.
For those managing chronic conditions, social prescribing can be a game-changer. It provides personalized help, including nutrition advice and stress management programs. Moreover, it supports mental health by offering services like counselling and mindfulness programs, which can ease the transition to new environments.
Lifestyle Medicine
Lifestyle medicine goes hand in hand with social prescribing. It emphasizes the importance of taking care of oneself through good nutrition, regular exercise, and effective stress management. Together, these methods build a strong foundation for health, benefiting employees who travel for work.
How to Implement These Strategies
To make these strategies effective, organizations can:
- Partner with expert health teams: Collaborate with healthcare providers that specialize in social prescribing and lifestyle medicine to ensure employees receive personalized care.
- Integrate services into benefits: Include elements like fitness center access, counselling, and wellness programs in employee benefit plans.
- Educate employees: Raise awareness about the benefits of social prescribing and lifestyle medicine to encourage participation in health initiatives. Informed employees are more likely to take charge of their wellbeing.
- Continuously assess and improve: Regularly evaluate the effectiveness of health programs using feedback and data analysis. This helps ensure that the initiatives remain relevant and beneficial.
By focusing on these innovative health strategies, companies can boost success rates in international operations and create supportive, productive work cultures.
About Dr. Shoba Subramanian
Dr. Shoba Subramanian is the Medical Director for UnitedHealthcare Global in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. She leads clinical teams across multiple regions to ensure safe medical transportation for those in need. Dr. Subramanian holds various diplomas in medicine and has extensive knowledge of global healthcare with a focus on travel health and occupational medicine. She has also provided remote clinical care for a decade and is active in several professional medical organizations.
Source link
UnitedHealthcare Global