People may be acting as if the coronavirus pandemic is a thing of the past, but reality says something else. There are still cases of the virus on the rise around the world, but even if there weren’t any new cases, we’d still be living in a vastly different world from the one we inhabited before the 2020 pandemic. And that brings with it new challenges that the healthcare industry must deal with, either right now or in the future. In this blog, we’ll take a look at some of the key challenges that healthcare organizations will need to focus on.
Remote Appointments
The lack of in-person appointments during the pandemic meant that healthcare organizations had to quickly invest in technology that allowed for remote appointments on a much larger scale than before the pandemic. Having made that investment, healthcare facilities are looking for a return on their investment, but some doubts remain. The main one is whether patients are eager to continue with remote appointments now that in-person appointments are possible. Research suggests that they are. However, there’s an important distinction — they’re happy to do so only if the technology is secure and high quality. Some healthcare facilities may need to make further investments to ensure that they can meet customer expectations.
Increasing Vaccination
The worst of the coronavirus pandemic has undoubtedly passed, and that’s in large part to the success of vaccination campaigns around the world. With new variants emerging and the fact that the effectiveness of vaccines reduces after some time, it’ll be essential that healthcare facilities continue to not only offer vaccination but also push their campaigns. They will need to make sure they have enough vaccines available and a covid vaccine fridge to ensure they can offer it on a long-term basis. Investment will also need to be made by pharmaceutical companies to ensure their vaccines are effective against new variants, too.
Mental Health Challenges
There’s been a rise in mental health conditions among the general public since the pandemic. It was a stressful time on various levels, not just because of the virus itself but because of the impact on people’s finances and the lack of contact they had with their friends and family. Healthcare facilities should be prepared to manage more mental health patients in the future.
Employee Burnout
It’s not just the general public that suffered during the coronavirus. Healthcare workers did, too. A significant portion has experienced stress and burnout, and some have quit the industry altogether. With demand for healthcare professionals already outstripping demand, it’ll be important that facilities invest in their employee wellbeing programs to retain their existing staff and actively push for new recruits to replace those that have already quit.
Conclusion
The world was reborn following the coronavirus pandemic, and that’s something that healthcare facilities will need to keep in mind. From continuing to invest in their remote appointment technology to increase their mental health capabilities, the future presents an opportunity for further growth in the healthcare industry.
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