Three focuses of my blog are Current Events, Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Throughout history, vast opportunities have been created out of crisis situations and the Coronavirus/Covid-19 Pandemic is no different. One area that is in the eye of this storm is the healthcare sector. The following contributed post is entitled, Believe It Or Not, The Current Public Health Crisis Is An Opportunity For Health Care Providers.
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With COVID-19 spreading like wildfire across the planet, the eyes of the world are on the medical sector. People are watching the industry like never before and, frankly, forcing it to do new things.
Take clinical trials, for instance. Usually, these take years to set up, conduct, and publish. But in the current context, they’re taking a matter of weeks. The nature of the emergency requires it.
The same applies to vaccines and drugs. It used to take the FDA the length of a career to approve specific medicines. Now the CDC is recommending that some Americans take virtually untested drugs in the desperate fight against COVID-19.
What is interesting about the current episode is the giant leaps that the medical establishment can make when it absolutely has to. Most of the time, it is sclerotic, dormant, and apathetic to the needs of patients. But when you suddenly add the scrutiny of public attention, things change fast. All of a sudden, you CAN deliver life-saving drugs in just a matter of weeks. Odd, isn’t it?
Of course, all this chicanery has a lot of people asking why this rate of progress wasn’t possible before.
Expect all the usual weasel words at this point. “There are processes that we must follow.” “Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures.” “We have the best healthcare system in the world.”
But, of course, everyone is going to remember this episode and demand that the sector change in the future. When the bureaucracy gets out of the way, it appears to improve patient satisfaction. Why can’t that continue?
Public attitudes will undoubtedly change going forward, creating opportunities for specific providers in the industry who stay on top of the current situation. People are looking for outfits that they can trust to get the job done – and without bankrupting them.
Shift Your Business Model
The opportunities for healthcare providers who get their message right, therefore, is tremendous. Already, we see big shifts in how the industry operates. Some clinics are offering patients flat fees for consultations, instead of milking the insurance system.
Others are looking for ways to make medical services subscription-based. You continue paying your doctor to keep you healthy. When you get ill, you stop paying and only resume payments once you’re back to normal.
Healthcare providers are also going to have to think much more about their hygiene messaging. While keeping things clean is important at any time, it is even more so in the aftermath of a pandemic.
Offer Patient Direction
Healthcare providers that can provide patients with clear guidance in the current crisis will be those that most successfully build their brands. Those who really understand how to react to the needs of their patients will emerge as a shining example to the rest of the industry. At times like these, patients need a considerable amount of help. Many people will still be getting sick from regular illnesses and need medical attention. Clinics who can orchestrate an effective response will be those that gain the most trust in the community.
