For the past seven months, COVID-19 has made a continuous impact on the way life has carried itself out for people worldwide.
Beyond social welfare and healthcare, various facets of human life like finances, economies, workforces, and psychological security have been affected by the virus as well. As a result, the effects brought about by the global pandemic have sent many nations into varying forms of recession.
At this moment, it has become clear that the Coronavirus pandemic has presented a challenge never seen before in terms of the effects that it bears across all sectors of nations and human life. However, it is crucial to note that there are a few much-needed silver linings in the public health situation today, one of which drives regional innovation in digital health.
The widespread push for modern digital health
As more people are being forced to spend time sectioned off in their homes, modern medicine must adapt to remote set-ups, ensuring that patients receive adequate care without exposure risks.
Given the current persistent shift to remote medicine, it’s clear that innovation is spreading out of necessity in a growing number of distributed medical technology regions. One of the most prominent digital adaptations in modern medicine is the collective shift to remote services and consultations, acting as a catalyst for digital transformation on a much larger scale.
How a “silver lining” has paved the way for innovation out of necessity
Considering that medical technology has become the difference-maker in the fight against COVID-19, the healthcare industry is now saddled with the responsibility of integrating data and services.
From diagnosing new cases of the COVID-19 virus to monitoring patients of varying quarantine conditions, modern healthcare establishments now face a wave of change coming about with telehealth’s rapid adoption. Thankfully, recent applications have shown that remote care is now highly scalable and accessible, even in rural and urban areas.
What the experts are saying
The current changes that the healthcare industry is experiencing in terms of dealing with the demand for remote work can be best described as an expected outcome. According to Steven Krein and Unity Stoakes’ write-up in the StartUp Health Insight 2020 Mid-year report, the insinuating difficulty of COVID-19-related lockdowns has ushered forced change. He states:
“It’s been said that there are decades where nothing happens, and then there are weeks when decades happen. It’s crystal clear to us that over the past several weeks, decades have happened.”
As healthcare providers continue to double down on their efforts to provide quality care globally, the world’s leading countries are continually picking up on rapid adaptation in a positive manner.
According to this report by the U.S Department of Health and Human Services’ Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE), primary care telehealth visits have increased in frequency and demand. Researchers reported that the number of primary care telehealth visits by Medicare beneficiaries increased by nearly 50 percent at its peak from January through June. Such developments have become widespread to the point where Nebraska—which is notorious for having the lowest telehealth adoption rate—experienced a 22 percent increase in visits!
Conclusion
Beyond the need to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 across the world, healthcare providers have worked tirelessly to ensure modern digital technology adoption to provide top-quality care today for other conditions. While many may consider this period a challenging time, the current situation has paved the way for a silver lining in the form of a long-overdue modernization!
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