COVID-19 has given us a type of Fashion Week within healthcare, where new trends and rising stars emerge unexpectedly, and all at an alarmingly fast pace down the virtual runway.
We are seeing work from home take on a whole new significance, which leads to new software platforms rising in popularity, existing applications modified to accommodate the need of the workforce, and processes and procedures adjusted to support social distancing. All of these ‘trends’ come with a new look on the healthcare landscape.
There are companies that are retooling their assembly lines to create masks and face shields. We are seeing respirator designs come from unexpected places like Dyson. Telehealth was at one point in the not so distant past, a method that most would “consider one day” but not at the forefront of their healthcare treatment plan. Now, these options are deemed essential, or highly preferred, over other options when it comes to patients choosing.
Lighter and Leaner
We’ve all likely realized more of what we can ‘live without’ during this unfamiliar time. We’re running lighter and leaner in our personal lives and likely in the professional atmosphere that we occupy as well. The companies that had the good fortune to be running leaner pre-COVID-19 now have the advantage to have seemingly less to lose and more to gain. Tele-service platforms never had to rely on heavily staffed locations to accommodate patients or support their users, so they were already setup to sell, support, and stream in the way that is best serving patients now.
While the future can never be predicted, we can take note from these companies who had the gumption to forge ahead in unfamiliar territory, and with less of an asset-heavy structure. This may end up being more than a trend, and quickly become a tried and true style we cannot live without.
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