9 months ago, the novel coronavirus changed lives all over the world. Months into it, the healthcare industry is still struggling to make up for lost time on delayed appointments and surgeries due to the pandemic.
People were required to stay home and socially distance themselves from other people to help stop the spread of the virus. Because of this, many patients who needed medical assistance that wasn’t related to the virus weren’t prioritized. And since there has been a significant rise in cases, more patients’ appointments and surgeries have been further delayed.
However, even if healthcare organizations are still struggling to keep up with all the work, providers are getting more creative and making the most out of technology to reduce exposure and keep everyone safe.
In this article, we’ll share with you some of the technology lessons the healthcare industry learned during this pandemic.
Virtual healthcare reduces exposure
One of the best lessons the healthcare industry learned during the pandemic are the advantages of using mobile technology. Mobile technology became an essential tool during the pandemic because it allowed professionals to cut down non-critical appointments and visits.
With virtual healthcare, patients and healthcare workers would schedule routine checkups to reduce exposure to the virus by saving some resources, such as personal protective equipment (PPE).
Quicker patient turnaround
Technology has allowed healthcare workers to quickly process data and communicate with patients to answer concerns and issues. Technology enables workers to check a patient’s information by pulling up their data from their database and updating it in real-time, which will then be ready for the next round of nurses.
With technology, lab results and tests will be sent directly to the tablet once it is complete and will notify the nurse. Additionally, you may contact the doctor directly should there be updates, new orders, and adjustments to the patient’s plan. This makes operations faster and efficient, all while reducing the risk of exposure.
Because most tasks are now automated, other healthcare organizations have also benefited from these tech tools. For example, once a patient has been discharged, the nurse can notify housekeeping through the tablet for cleaning. This is more important now since more serious sanitization requirements may take a long time to manage.
Increases efficiency of patient surgeries and other procedures
Because of technology, healthcare organizations have been experiencing a boost in efficiency when conducting surgeries and other procedures and an improved operating room turnaround.
Incorporating technology has allowed the healthcare industry to analyze patient data to improve future procedures and surgeries. Besides that, hospitals and surgical teams can also automatically adjust their schedule, tasks, and appointments through technology.
Saves so much time
Because technology has made healthcare workers quicker and more efficient, there is less time wasted. With technology, besides getting data immediately, you can also tag and track high-use assets, like UV pumps and wheelchairs, making it much easier for nurses and staff to look for equipment.
Manages inventory better
Since automation is one of the features of mobile technology, healthcare organizations are utilizing this tool to help manage the hospital’s or facility’s inventory of resources.
Because of the surge of patients in the past months, healthcare organizations are struggling to recover from financial issues due to the reduction of non-essential procedures. They are looking for alternative solutions to cut costs without affecting the way they care for patients.
With technology, healthcare organizations can track their inventory and improve their supply chain process, reducing inventory-related expenses.
Conclusion
Technology has played a huge role in the healthcare industry during the pandemic and has improved operations in many ways. Because of this, organizations have realized that technology is truly a game-changer, and these improvements and practices will most likely stick around even after the COVID-19 pandemic.
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