Future of healthcare in post-pandemic era – Outlook for the forthcoming decade
Recognizing the challenge of adapting to the ‘new normal’, the healthcare industry has risen to the pandemic with both public and private hospitals, nursing homes and doctors boldly confronting a volatile virus and evolving treatment guidelines. In the post-pandemic era, the healthcare industry shall emerge stronger with innumerable insights and prudent takeaways of overcoming the global emergencies.
The fast-tracking of medicine approvals (new and repurposed for COVID) and rapid progress in the roll out of vaccines, compressing the approval timeline to months from decades has metamorphosed the entire ecosystem of the healthcare industry. We are certain to resolve preventable causes of death with development of vaccines for global killers such as Dengue, Malaria and different types of cancers in a similar fast-track ecosystem.
The forthcoming decade will witness a rapid change in the perception and acceptance of digital technologies in healthcare. The future may see us reaching out to faraway villages that have traditionally suffered the lack of access to clinical expertise. With the help of information and communication technologies such as the digital stethoscope, we might be able to listen to their heart and lungs like a physical examination and subsequently prescribe relevant treatment.
Future of healthcare in post-pandemic era – What is paramount, however, is that the healthcare industry will no longer like to adhere to guesswork and invest abundantly in a forecasting system to predict the likelihood of future disasters so as to ensure preparedness. Technological advancement in Artificial Intelligence (AI) based disaster forecasting mechanisms will not only help us save and protect colossal numbers of human lives but prepare us as a society to effectively deal with a global emergency.
Ms. Vandana Pakle
Managing Director
Nanavati Super Speciality Hospital
