Accolade was among the healthcare industry leaders in attendance for the 2021 Annual Employee Health Care Conference in New York City. Hosted by The Conference Board, the theme of this year’s event, which took place at the end of October, was Transform: Solving for the New Business and Employee Imperatives. 

As part of the agenda, Accolade and customer Scientific Games presented together on how Expert Medical Opinions Can Increase Appreciation of Benefits by Employees. Susie Fotheringham, GBA, PHR, SHRM-CP,  and director of employee benefits for Scientific Games, shared how the company was able to improve employee health, increase employee participation and reduce costs by utilizing Accolade Expert MD, Accolade’s solution that helps people get expert medical opinions quickly and easily through phone and video consultations. 

Consultation with specialists within days

Fotheringham discussed how, as an employer with employees in every state across the country, Scientific Games wanted to provide a solution that would allow access to expert medical opinions no matter where the company's employees were located. With Accolade Expert MD, Scientific Games was able to provide their employees with access to leading specialists for a second opinion regardless of their geographic location, because the service makes providers available via video or phone consultation. 

Fotheringham further explained how giving her team the ability to quickly access virtual expert medical opinions helped their employees and family members get in front of specialists within a matter of days. Those specialists helped  Scientific Games’ people pursue courses of treatment with added confidence, provide alternative treatment options for them to consider and even avoid procedures altogether. 

Avoid medical errors with an expert opinion

According to Fotheringham, one Scientific Games employee was able to avoid surgery after her Accolade Expert MD specialist noted that there may have been an error in her original imaging report. When that person returned to their original doctor and asked to have the imaging staff re-read her ultrasound, they  learned there had indeed been a mistake and that surgery was unnecessary. Without the expert medical opinion, they may have needlessly undergone a myomectomy or hysterectomy, which could have cost more than $24,000. 

That’s just one example of the value people get from having certainty in their treatment plans. Between January 2020 and September, 2021, 83% of Accolade Expert MD consultations led to an improved treatment plan for Scientific Games’ people, and an average savings of $12,105 per case.

If you are ready to give your people access to leading specialists who are experts in their field, learn more about Accolade Expert MD. 

*stats from January 14, 2020 through September 21, 2021