The global coronavirus pandemic has divulged many holes in the healthcare industry and its ability to care for patients. From a shortage of personal protective equipment and limited space to accommodate the rising number of cases to higher demands for testing and faster turnarounds on results, hospitals and private clinics needed effective solutions. As such, medical, science, and tech brands have gone to great lengths to develop innovations to aid a taxed medical industry.
Efficient COVID-19 Tests
The first issue was the increased demand for COVID-19 testing. As millions of Americans contracted the virus, medical facilities quickly ran out of supplies. This shortage left patients waiting for weeks to be assessed as the virus continued to spread. Big brands went to work vamping up production on accurate, affordable, and convenient tests to ensure that anyone who needed or wanted a COVID-19 test could receive one without an issue.
Rapid Results
Healthcare facilities and testing centers began testing thousands of patients daily. While ideal for slowing the spread and safeguarding communities, the influx overwhelmed laboratories. Taking precedent over other health conditions, coronavirus testing got pushed to the front of the list resulting in delays.
Fortunately, experts developed blood analysis machines that make rapid blood testing possible. With just a few drops of blood, healthcare providers can test patients for a series of common viruses and diseases and receive the results within 20 minutes. Such innovations helped to streamline processes, reduce the backlog, and enhance patient satisfaction.
Hands-Free Devices
While medical facilities have always prioritized cleanliness and sanitation to safeguard their patients, the global health crisis kicked things into high gear. As a way to reduce contamination and communal spread, hospitals and clinics invested in hands-free devices. From faucets and toilets to doors and hand-sanitizer, installing such features on the premises is efficient for reducing risks to patients and medical staff.
Enforcing Social Distancing
Social distancing has become the new norm for protecting yourself against the coronavirus. As the virus can spread when a person coughs or sneezes, standing at least six feet away is advised. While this practice is more challenging in busy environments like hospitals and doctor’s offices, tech gurus developed a device to enforce this practice for staff. A tool known as Proximity Trace sends out a signal if employees are standing too close together. It also monitors employee movements to make it easier to detect the source of an outbreak in-house.
Telehealth
The use of electronic medical records, online patient accounts, and virtual visits has been around for some time. In the wake of the pandemic, medical experts have beefed up their electronic services. By allowing patients to manage their health exclusively online, they save themselves an unnecessary trip to the doctor and reduce their risks of contracting COVID-19, all while getting the care they need.
Cleaning and Sanitation
Medical facilities have always taken cleaning and sanitation seriously, but the pandemic has resulted in the need to do more. Keeping up with the new regulations for keeping hospitals and private clinics free from the coronavirus became a chore for in-house cleaning staff. As such, healthcare providers have turned to robotics and engineering for a solution.
Newly developed robots can be programmed to clean and sanitize patient rooms, waiting areas, and common spaces frequently. These bots have saved a lot of time and money while boosting workplace morale and safeguarding the general population.
The world hasn’t seen a pandemic like this in over a century. While there is still a lot to be done to bring this contagion to an end, major corporations are doing everything they can to slow the spread and keep everyone safe. Wanting to accommodate their patients’ needs, healthcare providers have implemented new strategies and invested in innovative technologies that allow them to do their jobs safely and efficiently.