Why Connectivity Is So Important Today
On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (W.H.O.) declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, and its impacts were devastating at best. There is no doubt that the effects of the coronavirus emergence led to notable changes in daily life, especially communication. In-person socializing, visits to the doctor’s office, lunch with friends, and dinners with loved ones were all once forms of communication now prohibited under shelter-in-place orders. All forms of interactions with loved ones, friends, and colleagues shifted to virtual communication to allow social distancing. While nearly all industries felt the effects of the pandemic, the healthcare field had to respond to this change rapidly by adapting to a new normal. Revisions to protocols in these unprecedented times were at a remarkable high. These changes took into consideration all aspects of the healthcare industry; from doctor’s office visits to patients obtaining their prescriptions, no sector was left unaffected.
As a professional student in pharmacy school, I had the first-hand experience with reforms of the healthcare industry. For example, the pandemic’s implications reinvented how healthcare professionals provided patients with the care they needed. Telehealth is now an essential tool that continues to allow practitioners with the resources to communicate and engage with patients through video calls via Zoom, Skype, and other platforms. Electronic medical and health records underwent significant reconstruction to compensate for the increased need to conduct appointments and influx of patient information. The adoption of telehealth services and the development of health-related technology is a pivotal moment in the advancement of healthcare.
It is undeniable that the pandemic has its devastating outcomes. However, with the transition to telemedicine, those who previously did not have access to care or were disproportionally affected can now receive proper medical attention. The use of health information technology significantly improved the quality of care offered to patients and patient outcomes in managing their medical records and information. For example, applications like MyChart provide free services to patients that allow them to quickly schedule appointments, find care, view current medication lists, test results, medical bills, and find price estimates even if they have been seen by multiple healthcare providers. The advancement of electronic health records truly reformed communication within the healthcare industry; interprofessional communication improved, patient-provider relationships strengthened, and the healthcare industry experienced the enhancement it needed.
After the W.H.O. declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, communication will never be the same again. Industries adapted the best ways they could, and since then, they continue to restructure their platforms to increase consumer engagement, involvement, and contribution. I see this as a positive outcome of the virus that did not discriminate against any community, industry, and neighborhood it impinged.