5 Ways COVID-19 Has Changed Healthcare Industry/Practice

Every industry seems to have experienced change since the pandemic, but healthcare is probably one of the industries that has had to adjust to the most alterations to daily practice. Healthcare workers have been on the frontline of the pandemic right from the start and have had to work in tense and dangerous environments while providing necessary care to those who were critically sick.

Thankfully, there have been some changes to the healthcare fields that might yield long-term positive results even after the pandemic is over. Healthcare as a whole has been following some of the same practices for decades, and it was likely well-past time for these practices to be updated. While the pandemic has been a huge source of stress and worry for healthcare professionals, there have been some positive outcomes as well.

If you are ready to learn about the ways that COVID-19 has changed healthcare industry practices, you need to read on!

Ways COVID-19 Has Changed Healthcare Industry/Practice

1.       Telehealth

The rise of telehealth can largely be credited to necessity during the pandemic. Medicine had resisted this opportunity even though it had been available for many years. The inclination of doctors to desire to have the patient right in front of them for diagnostics makes sense. However, the improved video quality and online interactions that are possible now make simple ailments easy to diagnose and treat through virtual interaction.

The use of telehealth visits for simple primary care needs has jumped by 35% since the start of the pandemic. This kind of treatment protocol will likely survive long after the pandemic is over to help make treatment of simple ailments easier for doctors and patients alike. This is a very positive change to the healthcare field that helps doctors to treat their patients more effectively.

2.       Licensure Changes

Prior to the pandemic, doctors could only practice medicine in the state they were licensed in. This changed with the demand of the pandemic, and doctors, as well as nurse practitioners, can now practice medicine in any state so long as their license is in good standing. Advanced Nurse Practitioners are now allowed to work without a licensed physician supervising their work as well.

These changes might be rolled back or reconsidered when the pandemic is over, but this change to the licensing rules that have been in place for generations has helped to attend to the doctor shortage that has been common throughout the US for many years now. This is a beneficial change that might be necessary to keep in place after the pandemic to maintain current levels of physician access in some areas.

3.       Remote Patient Monitoring Care

One of the biggest struggles for healthcare professionals has always been the improvement that many critical care patients experience when they return home. This has not been an option for some patients in past years because of the risk that the patient will not get essential health care in time if they need to come back to the hospital on an emergency basis.

With the need to treat COVID patients at home came the rise of remote patient monitoring. This system can easily be set up with remote monitoring services that allow patient vital signs to be delivered on a regular basis to cardiac and vital sign teams. These monitoring services are being made more available all the time, and this change will allow patients with critical conditions to get out of the hospital environment and back home faster.

4.       Better Mental Health Care

The pandemic showed just how difficult it could be for people to get access to mental health support when they need it. Healthcare providers, as well as people impacted by COVID-19 and the pandemic as a whole, struggled in the early days of the pandemic to get access to mental health support as needed. When healthcare workers began speaking out about needing mental health support to get through long days in the ER and clinical care settings, changes began to be made.

There is still room for improvement, but it is easier than it used to be to get access to mental health support for healthcare workers now. Whether you are in the healthcare field or you are struggling with remote work or a personal illness, there is better access to mental health care support these days.

5.       Improved Work/Life Balance

The pandemic created the need for remote work opportunities for most industries, and with this change came the corresponding improvement in many people’s work and life balance. People were able to see more of their family and enjoy reduced or eliminated commute time. Nursing and healthcare jobs that used to work people hard and force overtime on employees who did not really want to have it were forced to cease these practices.

There is still room for improvement, but for many nurses, doctors, and healthcare workers, the work and life balance that they have access to now is far superior to what they ever thought they could enjoy. Increased job satisfaction and time for self-care were long overdue, and many people are happier in their jobs now than they ever have been. This might be one of the most positive changes that have been made to the healthcare industry due to the pandemic.

The Healthcare Has Experienced Positive Changes Since the Pandemic Began

While this has been one of the hardest times to work in healthcare in many ways, there have been some really important changes to the way that healthcare jobs operate that have come from the events of the pandemic. Jobs that used to cause burnout have become much more manageable. There is also less turnover in many key positions than before the pandemic.

The rise of remote healthcare and the ability to remotely monitor patients have changed the landscape of patient care in positive ways and have alleviated the burden on doctors. There have been many major changes that will improve accessibility to healthcare in the future that would not have been spurred on without it taking place. The future of healthcare is looking bright despite the changes that have been forced to take place.