“Working in an office is a normal routine all of us follow in our every day lives. But Covid-19 has flipped the script on this, companies have been forced to adopt remote work or work from home policies. It has yielded results in increased productivity, lower costs for company management.
It is a double-edged sword though; with the normal 9am to 5pm office hours people can leave work at the office but work from home means home is your office and ta typical 8hr work days may turn into 10 or 14hrs!
However, the merits outweigh the negatives by a decent margin. In healthcare systems patients seeking medical attention have an easier time getting diagnosed remotely for various medical conditions. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought some serious attention to Tele health and remote monitoring tools.
Digital health seems to be the future here and rapid innovation in this platform will enhance remote care capabilities of healthcare providers.
Here are some ways healthcare will adapt due to the long-term impact of COVID-19.
Remote Patient Monitoring systems during COVID-19
Global appetite for Remote Patient Monitoring Systems have seen a sharp growth since the corona pandemic. As per Research and Markets a leading market research store, it is expected to grow from $745.7 million this year to over $1.7 billion by 2027.
Large number of healthcare providers are adopting the use of telemedicine and video chat tools to get in touch with patients during COVID times. For this to be successful physicians will still need access to biometric data which means the patients have to own devices. With a RPM system healthcare providers have full access to patients vital signs and with analytical tool inbuilt, they give a holistic outlook of any underlying conditions.
Upcoming advances in drones and robotic technologies
COVID-19 pandemic has changed how people work and practice social distancing in their lives. As per Forbes research robots and drones are being used to tackle the corona pandemic. Testing of drones and robotics have accelerated during COVID-19 times as it provides the safest way to reduce the spread of infection. A number of companies such as Shenzehen, Youibot in China and UVD Robots in Denmark are testing delivery drones, Sterilization robots and robots that can replace human labor in factories.
Robots and drones could be the future in our battle against corona virus.
Developing local supply chain sources
Healthcare providers were in for a rude awakening during to the COVID-19 pandemic. As per U.S. Department of Health and Human Services survey Large number of health systems grappled with lack of supply of personal protection equipment (PPE) and ended up unable to meet the demand for the same.
Having multiple local sources for supply of essential and vital equipment such as PPE seems to be only way to tackle the overwhelming demands at hospitals and health systems.
Bottom line: Globally the fear of the Corona virus has gotten people more interested in receiving remote care and virtual consultations. Now let’s all look to the future and adapt to the changes it brings in our lives.”