Almost two years after the first known case of COVID-19 was discovered, healthcare is slowly returning to normal. Cloud-based communications platforms and rapid vaccinations have given the sector some much-needed hope while enhancing collaboration and providing superior virtual care experiences.
Healthcare trends to watch out for in 2023
There is no doubt that the pandemic’s widespread impact on the health ecosystem will last for years to come as the new standard approaches. The following are five major trends that will influence the healthcare industry in 2022, as well as the providers who will be affected by them:
1. It is critical that trust be restored as soon as possible.
False or misleading information became commonplace as a result of this. The World Health Organization dubbed this period of widespread misinformation the “infodemic,” which contributed to a broad distrust of the health system, which had been slow to respond to the pandemic’s arrival.
Healthcare has begun to regain public confidence, but the pace of improvement is still excruciatingly sluggish. Websites and social media accounts generate more questions than answers that spread COVID and anti-vaccination propaganda, keeping the public in the dark.
2. Telemedicine will take the lead role in the future of healthcare.
The traditional healthcare delivery model was thrown for a loop when quarantine and social exclusion were implemented. Many non-emergency situations no longer allow for face-to-face encounters, so clinicians quickly embraced virtual care to maintain customer relationships.
As a result of extensive formal training and active campaigns, healthcare providers will likely take charge of promoting best practices in telehealth by 2022. Meanwhile, in-person visits to clinics will become increasingly rare in fields like therapy and urgent care that currently rely heavily on the traditional in-person model
3. Nursing workflows have been streamlined
The COVID-19 onslaught dealt a heavy blow to the nursing profession. The pandemic brought the plight of the exhausted and stressed nurses to the forefront. It’s time for health care to put more effort into implementing technologies and workflows that make nurses’ jobs easier now that COVID-19 is no longer in control.
Nurse burnout can be significantly reduced by utilizing cloud-based communication platforms with a secure mobile message, video, and phone capabilities. According to the McKinsey survey, two-thirds of nurses are open to using virtual health technologies to provide care when face-to-face visits aren’t necessary.
4. Use of unstructured health data can be improved
The pandemic revealed the rising health disparity between the wealthy and the poor. The health care sector acknowledged data from as many sources as possible because of the apparent disparities in infection rates between races and ethnicities during public research and medication development efforts.
Shortly, healthcare organizations will try to make better use of the 80 percent of data that is still unstructured. For a thorough understanding of the issue of health disparities this is an essential first step.
5. New treatment delivery cycles have been sped up as a result.
It was COVID-19 that exposed the flaws in medical research’s distribution models. As the pandemic ravaged the world, conventional new treatment development methods quickly ran out of steam.
The medical research industry will have to become more flexible in the coming years to keep up with the demand for new treatments. Technology, workflows, and change management capabilities designed to speed up development cycles are expected to rise in importance in the coming years.
Conclusion
Healthcare will become more accessible and responsive in 2022. Pandemics have given rise to a more robust and responsive healthcare sector. It is time for the industry to look inward and develop deep-seated reforms to deal with the challenges and improve efficiency.
