As more patients return to accessing in-person treatment, new steps are being taken by healthcare providers to encourage social distancing and isolate people at high risk. The measures are not only for safety; they are vital to curbing the $161.4 billion loss in revenue seen in the first four months of the pandemic by U.S. non-federal hospitals. So in many ways, healthcare delivery is going to change because healthcare organizations have to keep in mind the protocols for the prevention of the virus and at the same time give their patients normal and proper medical care.
Below are some of the changes we might see in the new healthcare delivery model:
Check-in at doors to prevent the COVID-19 infection
A “digital front door” portal built into the electronic health record of the system enables patients to register online; a geolocation feature will allow check-in upon arrival automatically. Visitors are then accepted by a staffer and given a color-coded badge to show their level of danger and a building destination. Fever detection thermal cameras can also be deployed. There are many different types of technological devices available that allow healthcare institutions to check for the dangerous pathogen of COVID-19 in people’s bodies such as body scanners. Organizations can also deploy touchless technology to minimize the risk of infection.
Minimize in-person contact
Patients accepted are not exempt from the social distancing process. Those recovering in a hospital bed can be requested to visit a clinician to preserve protective equipment and shield clinicians, regardless of exposure to or danger of contracting COVID-19. Robust Wi-Fi networking combined with apps and mobile devices for collaboration enables groups of caregivers to consult from anywhere. Only a few people in the numbers of four or five can be called for check-ups at one time. Non-urgent consultations can be done using telemedicine. In many huge hospitals, robots are being used to facilitate conversation, deliver linens, medications, and other items that eliminate human contact.
Keeping the healthcare delivery going
With hospital beds and in-house services spread more than ever when it is considered safe to discharge them, healthcare organizations help patients better manage their treatment at home. Not only does this open up space for newly admitted persons, but by catching concerns before they occur, it can avoid expensive and life-threatening readmissions. Regardless of the health concern, remote patient monitoring (RPM) systems that use data collection software to capture and relay vital signs to a clinician can play a key role during rehabilitation. The technology can monitor heart rate, oxygen saturation, and even medication adherence, depending on its intended application. The instruments, such as scales and blood pressure gauges, often connect through Bluetooth to the tablets or smartphones of patients; these consumer devices use Wi-Fi to return readings to the hospital.
Providers need to begin rethinking provider rewards and benefits to meet these goals and quickly develop the skills required to succeed in this new environment. Taken together, this new standard means that provider organizations need to protect their companies from being entirely transactional. Healthcare’s future will lie in risk-taking, supplying patients with on-demand care, and having a toolset that focuses on providing the highest quality care using the most powerful modalities.
