We’ve all come a long way since the day the pandemic changed everything about life. We’ve weathered shutdowns, mandates, new regulations, and a new way of going about our daily lives.
But of all the things that have changed, the healthcare industry has probably incurred the most change of all.
When the COVID-19 Pandemic arrived on our doorsteps in March of 2020, it took everyone by storm. And this is still apparent nearly two years later. But hit the hardest during this time were our front-line workers such as nurses, medical doctors, and physician’s assistants across the country: as such, a multitude of positions in these fields was created to keep up with the growing demand, and many still need to be filled.
The healthcare industry was inundated with COVID-19 patients, and in the beginning, many of our doctors and healthcare workers didn’t know the full scope of what they were dealing with.
Here, we’ll discuss a few of the ways that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way our healthcare systems operate.
Telemedicine
With the rise of the now popular term “social distancing,” the most effective way to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic became the act of distancing yourself from others as much as possible.
But this not only became an efficient way to keep safe from contracting the virus, but it also began to change the way many healthcare providers operated.
Just like a Zoom meeting, telemedicine offered patients who were reluctant about visiting a hospital out of fear of contracting the virus safe and secure access to medical care. During a telemedicine meeting, one could receive diagnoses and prescriptions for certain illnesses.
Though telemedicine currently cannot accurately be used to diagnose major conditions and illnesses, those who wish to remain in the comfort and safety of their own homes without the risk of contracting the COVID-19 virus are able to receive care by utilizing this method.
This has given rise to new uses of telemedicine, which is forecast to trend more popular into the future.
Popularization of Home Health Services
Just like the rise of telemedicine, the need for people to stay safe from the virus has given way to a new surge in-home health assistance.
As we all saw with the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic, nursing homes and assisted care facilities were among the hardest hit at the onset. And this gave reason for concern due to the elderly being placed at the highest risk for dying due to the virus.
Home health has now become a much more preferred choice for those who were once considering or living in nursing homes. And this field is expected to see continued growth over the next decade due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on assisted living facilities.
Disaster Readiness
Anyone who has lived through a natural disaster knows full well how it’s nearly impossible to plan for it. And as we all know, the COVID-19 pandemic took the entire world by surprise.
As a result, infrastructure planning around the globe has shifted to engage greater protocols regarding first responders and healthcare workers in response to disasters. And preparedness is playing a central role in this restructuring.
Here in the United States alone, the pandemic has made it clear that disaster readiness is severely lacking in training and in actionable protocols. And the fact is, nobody was prepared for the onslaught of patients that nearly buckled the entire structure of the healthcare system.
Going forward, government planners are implementing strategic training around handling disasters of all kinds.
This is even going as far as proposing the increase of healthcare workers during times of disaster by many methods such as implementing a contact-tracing workforce or calling on students in medical school and retirees to the front lines of a pandemic.
Our healthcare system is vital to our survival. And it is this critical link in a chain of defenses that protect our communities against the sudden inundation of deadly viruses and disease. Without a strong and well-oiled healthcare machine, we’re all vulnerable to succumbing to any disease.
