The coronavirus pandemic has upended the traditional ways in which patients interact with their clinicians and primary healthcare providers. Family medicine, oncology, and all aspects of the healthcare industry are being disrupted by new technologies and the continuing strain of a global pandemic at the same time.
In no uncertain terms, there is an evolution that is taking place in the way that service providers give their medical advice and care to patients in need of treatment, and it’s happening for the better. Patients have enjoyed greater access to healthcare options through telemedicine in the current climate than ever before. While in-person visits have declined and some growing pains have certainly taken their toll on some, overall the industry is being shaken up and patients are the winners in the process.
The coronavirus pandemic has revolutionized the way Americans think about public health.
Public health is an ongoing debate in the United States. Many people see access to healthcare as a basic human right, while others maintain the traditional view that these services are just that—additional services that people incorporate into their lifestyle.
The evolution of thinking around this impasse is taking place in the office. In years past, this was somewhat of a moot point, as career men and women enjoyed great healthcare coverage at an affordable rate from their place of employment. Yet, transitions in the workplace have chipped away at pension plans and health and dental insurance coverage, leaving employees to hold the bag.
This is changing as more and more Americans sign up for elite coverage through programs made available by the Affordable Care Act. Removing health insurance from office culture gives employees greater leverage as you and millions of others in the U.S. search for a balance between high quality care in the family medicine sphere and equitable job treatment throughout the seasons of your life.
Telemedicine is taking center stage.
The advent of digital screening and telemedicine appointments has revolutionized what it means to provide patient care. Covid-19 has forced skilled providers in the healthcare space to remain distanced from their most vulnerable patients, but this hasn’t decreased the need expressed by those people.
Instead of in-person appointments, the healthcare industry has scrambled to create a secure system in which doctors and their patients can interact through the use of Zoom and other internet-forward operating systems. Doctors, like those at Healthcare Associates of Texas have made it their mission to continue providing high quality internal medicine and family medicine to all who need it, regardless of their ability to make it into the office safely for their appointment.
Home visits are growing in popularity.
In a nod to olden times, doctors and other primary care providers are making house calls again. With the help of cutting-edge tools like the portable ultrasound device, doctors can visit their patients in the comfort of their home for physical therapy, check-ins with expecting mothers, and those with severe underlying conditions who must shield themselves away from the general public.
The unique capability of portable ultrasound is one that is significantly disrupting the industry. Often, hospitals and doctor’s offices have bulky ultrasound and sonography equipment that is crucial for checking up on the health of a baby growing in the womb or for diagnostic use. But today, many doctors have adopted the portable model of ultrasounds in order to enlist a more flexible tool that can handle the rigors of this upended work environment. With the cutting-edge technologies (like this new ultrasound option) that are taking over the marketplace, medical professionals have many capabilities at their disposal that simply didn’t exist a year or two ago.
The landscape of healthcare in the United States is changing. Make sure you are taking advantage of these evolutions.
