Healthcare strategies in the Post Pandemic era

Covid -19 was an unexpected crisis that took the world by storm and put the whole globe in a pause mode. Healthcare facilities also took a huge hit because footfall plummeted due to fear and imposed lock-downs. Patients rushed to healthcare units only in an emergency and hence many planned elective procedures were postponed or cancelled.

strategies

Things are slowly returning to normal, but we can foresee that safety measures will have to be in place for a long time to come. Masks, social distancing and hand sensitization which are three components of prevention will have to be made a part of our routine.

Covid-19 has become a catalyst for change and has taught us that prevention is really better than cure because at times there is no cure.  If you are planning to set up your healthcare unit or expand your already existing one, you must incorporate Covid-related strategies in your business plan. Here are some strategies that can help you in this initiative:

• Design and Infrastructure : Healthcare equipment is usually a costly affair because you have to make provision for funds for both one-time investment and long-term maintenance and operation.  You will also have to procure software that can ease your day-to-day operations. Since social distancing is an imperative to check the spread of Covid-19, your prospective healthcare set-up will need to factor this in:

1. Waiting rooms and reception areas should be designed to have safe distances between two seated people.
2. Places where patients and family members have to queue up must have markings to assure distancing.
3. Touch-free reception and payment facilities will have to be planned.
4. Isolation wards that can be segregated from the rest of the hospital so that the uninfected patients can be kept separated from the covid-positive ones should be planned.
5. A waiting system of giving tokens or enabling  waiting in cars till their turn comes should be considered for OPD patients.

• Training of staff : People who visit a clinic or a hospital are already ill and low on immunity. The safety measures have to be stringent to ensure their wellness. The safety consciousness has to be conveyed to every employee, at every rung of the ladder. Regular sensitization measures and use of masks, shields and PPE kits should be mandatory. Staff should be trained to ensure social distancing. Use of glass separators to protect the administrative staff from patients can be considered.

• Adopting of Tele-health facilities : Technology is needed in each and every aspect of your healthcare facility, be it the operation of your equipment, your electronic accessibility, digital screening, record keeping and tele-medicine. Some medical conditions require your clinical intervention. However, routine consultation or follow-up can be done via tele- consultation. This can give your patients an opportunity to connect with you without any risk of exposure. This will reduce patient volume packed in your waiting room and check the fear of spread. You should invest in a reliable Remote Patient Monitoring service software to improve coordination with your patient, arrange for group consultation, follow-up in less serious conditions etc. You should delegate a separate space for tele-medicine to be practiced. This room should be made sound proof so that the patients can hear instructions clearly and lucidly. Care to ensure that the privacy of the patient is respected should be taken. Tele-health facilities can ensure multi-pronged benefits

1. Convenience for patients
2. Ease for monitoring and management of routine conditions
3. Access to digital or electronic records
4. Screening for urgent conditions
5. Support like nutritional counselling, weight management tips and exercise advice.

• Tie up with or incorporation of Diagnostic facility: Since RTPCR testing is mandatory before performing any procedure, you must give your patients the benefit of Covid testing under one roof. To do this, you can assign some space to sample collection. If you have space constraints, you should collaborate with a reputed laboratory for this testing.

• Addition of covid-related supplies to your inventory : Be sure to invest in PPE kits, masks, sanitizers, testing kits and etc. as they are important components of your arsenal against covid-19.

• Stock up your inventory : The pandemic and the associated lock-down had created a big crisis. Many key supplies and life-saving medicines had gone out of stock. Avoid this horrific situation by proactively keeping a stock of necessary supplies. Making your healthcare facility adherent to Covid protocol will be your foremost responsibility, as a healthcare enterprise. Since there is no rule book in this unprecedented situation, you should take the help of an experienced Healthcare Consultancy firm to help you in staying afloat in this rough sea of post-pandemic conditions. Hospertz Healthcare has the expertise to help you in this endeavor.

If you need a helping hand in planning the finances of your healthcare unit, look no further …consult Hospertz.

Dr. Vishal Jadhav

hospertz@gmail.com

+91 9820833149 / 9867712705