Medical support service Square Health is set to create more healthcare apps and forge partnerships with UK insurers to help more employees manage their mental and physical health conditions.
Dr Bippon Vinayak, executive chairman of Square Health, told FTAdviser that having an independent, confidential medical support service attached to an employee benefit scheme, such as group income protection, was becoming more important to both employers and employees.
He said: "We have a lot of services we want to enable through our app but one service that is imminent is the ability to organise health screening.
"Another one in development is to help people stop smoking and managing other addictions, such as drinking and gambling, for example."
Earlier this year, Square Health teamed with British Friendly to provide a health app to British Friendly's Mutual Benefits programme customers, and Dr Vinayak said the service was in the process of structuring further deals later on this year with UK insurers.
This was partly being driven by demand for employers for better health services for their staff, he said.
He commented: "I absolutely think employers are embracing looking after their staff. It is a great way to engage with them and provide them with health education so they can be guided into adopting better lifestyle choices.
"But beyond this, in their hours of need, we can help them through mobile technology to access help and manage their help in the same way. It is part of modern living."
In January, nursing support service RedArc commented on the importance of having qualified medical staff on a 24-hour helpline for employees with mental or physical health issues.
At the time, Christine Husbands, managing director for RedArc, told FTAdviser the service was increasingly being used to help people suffering from mental health conditions, which they felt they could not discuss with their employer, and more insurance companies should consider putting such services as add-ons to their cover.
Dr Vinayak said he believes such additional support services that provide secondary medical opinions or improve the general health and wellness of employees will become ever-more popular with employers who are actively seeking to improve the health and welfare of their staff.
simoney.kyriakou@ft.com
