There’s no denying the significant progress of the healthcare industry in recent times. Now, more than ever, it is crucial to improve our healthcare system, given the COVID-19 outbreak, which has been declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a pandemic.
In all essence, the coronavirus outbreak opens new challenges for the healthcare industry, while it hopefully opens up new opportunities for health and technology to step in. Continued medical supplies, ample existing medications, the development of new medicines, improved technologies, and the enhancement of skills and knowledge of healthcare professionals are all the more critical today and in the years to come.
There are two key aspects required to improve the healthcare system – the integration of technology and human innovation. Along with this are nurturing compassion for the health workers and developing better experiences for the patients.
The impact of technology and human innovation
It’s evident that when it comes to healthcare, both human and technology can go hand in hand to produce desirable results. In fact, the technologies that are being utilized today have greatly helped the way healthcare professionals diagnose and treat patients. However, some of the challenges that the healthcare industry faces today are inherently human ones – things that technology can’t solely address.
Ultimately, the goal is to strike a balance between technology and human innovation, but there’s still so much to be done.
Improving the plight of health workers
Working in the healthcare industry can take a toll on health workers. This is particularly true during this Coronavirus outbreak. While lockdowns have been declared in many countries and social distancing and restrictive movements are being implemented at the same time, it is the healthcare workers who are out in the open as the first line of defense for their communities.
Fortunately, many medical facilities and health systems understand that the delivery of quality care mirrors the happiness of their employees.
While there’s a need to improve the system, from having ample medical supplies and tools required to do the job, communities also need to show compassion to their health workers through empathy. Receiving encouragement and support is meaningful for healthcare providers, especially now that they work longer hours and see more patients than ever before.
Providing a valuable experience to patients
Along with the technology’s impact, the secret to improving the care experience is through human understanding.
While the technology is there to assist, nothing beats how healthcare personnel cultivates meaningful relationships with patients. This act should be built on empathy, which is a solid foundation in providing excellent patient experiences. The healthcare system can also foster an understanding environment and introduce technology to provide real relationship building and boost a patient-centric approach to health care.
Ultimately, hospitals, medical facilities, and healthcare systems must work together to understand what patients need and provide the right solutions to meet their ever-evolving needs and expectation. This can be done through a direct human approach or the assistance of technology.
Conclusion
As far as improving the healthcare system is concerned, there is so much work to be done. In fact, the recent outbreak of COVID-19 poses a major challenge for healthcare professionals. As the medical industry continues to grow, we’ll see how they can rise above the situation or further their steps to improve the healthcare system.
One thing’s for sure, working together to create a balance of technology and human innovation can make all the difference. Not only will this create better healthcare, but it will also improve patient experience in the next years to come.
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