NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, June 22, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ — Radical workplace changes forced by the recent COVID pandemic are making the recruitment of job candidates more challenging for employers and prompting innovations in pre-employment health testing and assessment, according to Robert Segal MD, co-founder and CEO of LabFinder.“With larger numbers of employees working remotely, employers seeking to hire the optimal candidates are finding it difficult to rely simply on the traditional standards of a resume, a cover letter, and brief follow-up phone calls to the candidate and his or her references. New software and ehealth platforms are emerging connecting a business’ human resources staff virtually with employment health testing programs and sites that offer quick candidate-evaluation results,” Dr. Segal says.
Dr. Segal developed LabFinder.com as an online scheduling platform for all patient laboratory and radiology appointments. The system connects patients, doctors and lab and radiology centers for a seamless medical experience; offers timely scheduling of tests, including those that might be requested by a potential employer; and serves as a central repository for users’ results. Most importantly, test data are released simultaneously to patient and clinician and are often available on the same day or within 24 hours. For patients without a doctor, LabFinder offers MinuteMed and telehealth services for oversight and approval for these exams.
Just a year ago (2022), LabFinder launched Virtual Proctoring, “a nationwide business-to-business service helping companies meet COVID-19 testing requirements,” Dr. Segal explains in a LabFinder news release (bit.ly/42Ou461).
“Job candidates and employees have been able to schedule a testing appointment with their company’s preferred LabFinder partner several days in advance of when results are needed. Shortly before their scheduled appointment, participants receive a link to connect virtually to a proctor at the testing site. The testing process is HIPAA-compliant and monitored and facilitated by the available proctor who also confirms results at the end of a less-than-half-hour waiting period. Each employee also receives results via the LabFinder dashboard. The entire process is streamlined, efficient, and flexible for users and could eventually be extended to other types of required employment testing, such as required influenza vaccinations and tuberculosis checks,” Dr. Segal reports.
Nowhere are the advancements in pre-employment testing more palpable than in applications of telemedicine, combined with the growing array of home and remote detection devices, for screening and, when needed, treatment, and follow-up of a variety of conditions, says Kamila Seilhan MD, an internist and LabFinder’s medical director. She refers to a study published in a 2021 issue of the journal Healthcare (bit.ly/45anYON). In it, authors write that the use of telemedicine is proving feasible even “for pre-employment medical examinations and follow-up visits [even] aboard ships.”
“With the advent of new technologies such as high-speed internet, video conferencing, and digital examinations…telemedicine can be a fundamental element for the prevention and treatment required in health surveillance, particularly for the conditions in which reaching the patient is difficult and expensive,” the study investigators state.
Dr. Seihan agrees. “The digital age is advancing quickly. Today, we have software platforms that can be customized to a patient – or to a job candidate. Through ehealth programs like LabFinder, individual customers and business clients can be integrated through systems that allow for a ready search of laboratories and testing sites based on location, availability, insurance coverage, and cost; immediate scheduling of tests; easy upload and submission of physician testing orders; appointment reminders; and, of course, quick and valid results.”
Most pre-employment screening protocols require some shape or form of what most companies consider the “basics.” These can include skills evaluation, aptitude and/or cognitive ability assessments, personality questionnaires to determine if a candidate makes a good “fit” in the company’s culture, and, in some instances, a medical examination to measure a candidate’s overall health, as well as strength, endurance, and muscular flexibility for withstanding certain physical rigors of a position without accommodation, Dr. Segal says.
Of course, testing can also work against an employer if scheduling and evaluations take too much time. “Testing delays may prompt top-tier job candidates to accept other offerings. That is why digital platforms, which interconnect companies with testing sites and potential job seekers and ensure ready results, are so integral to today’s hiring processes,” Dr. Segal states.
He offers the following tips to job-seekers:
· Run a background check on yourself and review your postings on social media sites. Eliminate anything that could prove embarrassing.
· Make a list of relevant references and notify them in advance they might be contacted by a recruiter or other representative of a company to which you are applying.
· Make sure your resume and cover letter honestly describe your previous experience and achievements. Avoid hyperbole.
· Take advantage of software platforms offered by potential employers to speed you through the testing process.
Bio: Robert Segal MD, board-certified in cardiovascular disease, echocardiography, and nuclear cardiology. He is founder of Manhattan Cardiology and Medical Offices of Manhattan, and Co-Founder of LabFinder. https://www.labfinder.com/
Kamila Seilhan DO, is a New York City-based internal medicine specialist who has been in practice for more than 20 years. She is board-certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine. In addition to her practice, she serves as medical director of LabFinder.
About: LabFinder is a consumer-facing platform that transforms the patient experience through seamless lab & radiology testing, guiding patients to conveniently located testing centers, handling appointment bookings, offering telehealth services, and allowing patients to review their test results all in one place. LabFinder supports patients through their care journey from booking to billing—reducing expenses, hurdles, and frustrations. www.labfinder.com.