By Pamela J. Gallagher

The spread of COVID-19 has turned the U.S. healthcare industry upside down, and healthcare executives and professionals are having to relearn how to care for patients in the midst of a pandemic.  The loss of life and peace of mind are sobering.  I also believe that the way we deliver care during the coronavirus can provide healthcare leaders with an opportunity to re-imagine how we care for our patients in a post-pandemic world.

Telehealth.  Numerous articles have been written over the past several weeks about this crisis being the tipping point for widespread adoption of virtual care (see Resources section at the bottom of this article).  It is true that many people who would never have considered meeting with their physician remotely are currently doing so out of necessity.  With technology such as digital thermometers and blood pressure cuffs, patients’ data can be sent directly to their physician, allowing them to avoid spreading a virus to other patients. Furthermore, it lowers costs to providers and patients alike.

There are, of course, trickle-down effects if doctors continue telehealth practices.  What changes will be required in billing and coding? What happens to the jobs of front-desk receptionists? How will insurance companies respond? What does this mean for lab work?  Despite these questions, patients’ exposure to a different way to receiving care might open them up to telehealth options and create a demand for these services, even after the threat of the coronavirus is over.

Redefinition of “elective surgery.” At most hospitals across the country, elective surgeries have been postponed indefinitely.  While it is wise to delay a surgery that is not crucial to a patient’s health during a widespread virus, what if a patient is in pain, such as those awaiting hip or knee replacements, which are considered elective surgeries?  Just because a procedure is not emergent, doesn’t mean it isn’t urgent. 

Additionally, I wonder if in the long-term, due to the delays and unavailability of elective surgeries, people will be more open to non-surgical alternatives.  Hospitals may perform fewer surgeries and, coupled with a rise in telehealth, turn their focus to acute care.

HIPAA regulations.  To offer virtual care options during the coronavirus pandemic, HIPAA regulations have been temporarily relaxed.  This has been a long time coming, and I believe more permanent changes to HIPAA are in the months ahead.

Guidelines to protect patients’ privacy will always be an essential part of providing quality, trustworthy care. However, the end-game of the millions of dollars spent on EMRs is the data.  If HIPAA regulations were modified so non-EHR companies could—with appropriate authorization—share that data, it opens the door to all kinds of technology that would improve patients’ health, and prevent future outbreaks.

Collaboration across industries.  I am constantly seeing headlines highlighting how the healthcare industry and the private sector are pulling together to stop the spread of COVID-19. Vertical collaboration within the healthcare industry has created fierce competition, especially within the research market, but collaboration is taking on a more horizontal trend in recent months.  The other day I read about how cloud developers are joining with researchers and drug makers to develop a coronavirus vaccine.  Whether to produce masks and other protective equipment or manufacture ventilators, there are numerous alignments across industries to find solutions.  This is a trend that I hope to see continue to get the world’s best minds focused on solving crucial health problems.

Resources:

Will COVID-19 be a tipping point for telehealth in the U.S.?, Market Watch

How coronavirus could change healthcare for the better, Washington Examiner

Coronavirus Will Change How We Shop, Travel and Work for Years, Bloomberg

Here's what Business Insider Intelligence analysts think will be the biggest business impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, Business Insider

Post-Coronavirus, How Telemedicine Could Upend The Healthcare System, Forbes