Oncology preventive care at work
Poland is at the forefront of cancer incidence among highly developed countries. One reason for this is that Poles avoid preventive examinations, even if they are readily available and free. Employers are helping by bringing mobile clinics to workplaces, where employees can get preventive examinations free of charge and without a referral.
“Świat Zdrowia” preventive packages include screenings for melanoma, breast cancer, thyroid cancer, testicular cancer and prostate cancer, and more. In addition to these, there are tests for diabetes and lung capacity, as well as nutritionist and psychologist advice. It is up to the employers themselves to decide which package they choose for their staff.
“It’s very simple to arrange such examinations. All the employer has to do is make a request, and we provide medical personnel, equipment and a mobile doctor’s office. Employees receive appointment schedules and sign up for examinations at their convenience. Our experience shows that such lists fill up very quickly after they are announced, which only confirms the fact that there is a great demand for this type of action. We can arrange the examinations in buses equipped with specialized equipment or in premises on the company’s premises that the employer indicates. After the examination, each employee receives the necessary information from the doctors and recommendations for further action,” – says Paulina Wróblewska Bębenek, Health Offer Director at NEUCA SA.
More than 3,000 employees have already been examined as part of preventive actions, and on average, 22% of patients are referred for further diagnostics as a result of these actions.
“Last year alone, during special preventive actions, as many as 35% of employees were referred for further dermatological diagnosis. However, it is encouraging that an increasing number of employers are choosing to order a mobile clinic to the company, where each employee can undergo preventive examinations. The undoubted advantage of such actions is that the examinations are carried out at the place and during working hours, and on top of that, without a referral, so it does not require any special procedures on the part of the employee. It is enough that he or she signs up for such a test at the company,” – says Paulina Wróblewska Bębenek, Health Offer Director at NEUCA SA.
In the event that further in-depth cancer testing is needed, TU Zdrowie Insureds can take advantage of the My Oncologist plan, which is available under the health policy. Its main premise is rapid diagnosis.
“In many cases, we are able to schedule a patient for consultation within a few days, when in the meantime, under the National Health Insurance, they would have to wait for months. Patients with suspected cancer who accede to the plan are guided step by step by a Medical Consultant, who helps them get to specialists and perform the necessary diagnostic tests as quickly as possible,” says Dariusz Grądziel, TU Zdrowie’s Sales Director.
The My Oncologist plan was launched in 2018, with diagnostics most often for suspected breast cancer in women, prostate cancer in men, and melanoma. The good reception of the plan is evidenced by the fact that 75,000 TU Zdrowie insureds have the My Oncologist health plan in their insurance coverage.
