The COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly shaken the foundations of modern medicine as we know it. Although more than two years have passed since its beginning, the effects can still be felt in healthcare and other industries-altering the daily habits of people everywhere. While experts now agree that the pandemic is most likely approaching its end, many are wondering what lessons can be learned from facing this unprecedented crisis. Is our healthcare system well-equipped to face another epidemic? Are doctors and medical professionals in the US and abroad trained to acknowledge the signs earlier than before? Are they prepared to face a new crisis better?
According to The Atlantic, more than 950 000 Americans have already lost the battle to COVID-19 and the real death toll is most likely higher because many deaths remain uncounted. In just two years, the virus that causes COVID-19 has managed to become a menace for Americans, due to the fact that the disease it spreads is currently the third leading cause of death in the US—after heart disease and cancer. These past two terms were used to define many distinct diseases— making the virus more dangerous than the numbers would suggest. Could another virus prove even more dangerous in the future, and if so, is the American healthcare system prepared to face such a threat?
Supporting healthcare workers
While many questions about the American healthcare system will likely remain unanswered for years to come, experts have managed to gather some useful data during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a recent study, one important concern regarding the future of healthcare is the fact that 75% of healthcare workers will leave the industry by 2025 unless important changes are made. Not only did doctors and nurses face high levels of stress and anxiety during the global pandemic, but they also struggled with burnout—and even faced assaults. According to the “Clinician of the Future” study, healthcare workers are currently facing numerous challenges and many will, in all likelihood, leave their jobs in the near future.
The study suggests that today’s healthcare workers feel overstretched. Moreover, they suspect the considerable amount of work in the field will increase in the next 10 years, given the growing global population, the expectations of patients and their families as well as the need to keep up with new technologies and big data. These, and many other issues doctors, nurses, and medical staff currently face, all contribute to clinicians predicting a shortfall of staff by 2031. According to the study, 26% of clinicians globally agree that well-being support is a priority and should be provided to ease the burden that healthcare workers are currently facing.
Keeping up with new technologies
Not only are doctors and nurses facing traditional problems like lack of appropriate training, high expectations from patients and their families, or working in an understaffed team, but they are also exposed to some new issues. Overload of data, limited support in using digital health platforms, and access to new technologies are some of these new difficulties. According to the “Clinician of the Future” study, 69% of healthcare workers questioned said that the extensive use of new technologies is likely to become an even more challenging issue in the future, while 83% agree that training needs to be improved in order to keep up with innovations.
While the COVID-19 pandemic has unquestionably accelerated the adoption of new healthcare technologies and platforms, it has also increased pressures on doctors and nurses to learn how to use these new technologies faster than normal. Of the clinicians questioned globally, 70% say the extensive use of these new technologies will enable positive changes in healthcare, but 69% also warn that digital health technologies will become a challenging issue for healthcare workers. Furthermore, 64% of the doctors and nurses questioned also reported that the impact of health inequalities will, in all probability, become even greater–an alarming issue, considering that COVID-19 has already confirmed numerous health inequities in the US.
Preparing for future epidemics and pandemics
The world has managed to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic by adapting to new social-distancing rules and using digital technologies to diagnose as well as treat this and other diseases. However, the pandemic has also highlighted the fragility of modern healthcare systems and addressed the issues American healthcare workers face. In order to prepare for future epidemics and pandemics, policy-makers and healthcare managers should consider easing concerns like stress, anxiety, and burnout among healthcare workers, while also adapting training to fit new health technologies.
