Covid 19 is not a short term effect. It has permanently changed the many traditional ways of doing things, especially in healthcare. On a positive note, it has expedited new trends that might have taken a few more years to emerge without the pandemic. The importance of healthcare and wellbeing has already been amplified. The healthcare sector is focusing on value-based outcomes, preventive care, and greater use of technology. Notable trends have been identified in consumer behavior, their priorities, technology, and the supply chain. There is a saying that the worst of times bring out the best in people; it will be true for the organizations as well. Challenges faced by us during Covid 19 bring new trends that will reshape healthcare delivery.

Prominent Trends

Behavioral shifts :

• With restricted OPD care and fear of getting exposed, patient behavior towards servicing their healthcare needs has changed significantly. Telemedicine became popular like never before. Teleconsultation has already become the mainstream care delivery model.
• Consumers who spent their resources on luxury items are now moving towards becoming more health and wellness-conscious than ever.
• Demand for immunity products has increased with the new normal.
• Generation of the post-COVID-19 era is comfortable in a world that takes place mostly online. Most of the people have adopted their digital ways of healthcare during the lockdown.

Many of these new habits have created a permanent shift in health-seeking behavior.

Technology :

• Frost & Sullivan’s Digital Health Research Program identifies that AI offers a great promise in data-driven segments of healthcare. Clinical-grade AI applications that advance predictive analytics, medical diagnosis, and clinical documentation have significant growth opportunities. As per Global Healthcare Market Outlook, 2020, post-pandemic informatics and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions addressing workflow automation and operational analytics will witness 100 percent growth.
• Increase in point-of-care testing for infectious diseases. Contactless noninvasive methods of diagnostics are getting popular among people.
• The concept of Population Health Management that concerns the interaction between telehealth technologies, software solutions, and healthcare services and access healthcare at a population level will achieve a tangible reduction of disease risk.
• IoT and the Wearable industry will witness tremendous growth in monitoring patients in their homes. Break-throughs in sensors and wireless communications permit patients to be monitored by the doctors while they are on-the-go. IoT offers an opportunity for patients to generate real-time data that will promote precision health.
• Post-pandemic much more physicians will recognize digital health tools as an advantage for driving efficiency and safety in health care.

https://ww2.frost.com/research/industry/transformational-health/digital-healthcare/

Supply chain reform :

• Covid highlighted the disadvantages of single-source dependencies and the lack of flexibility of the supply chain. During Covid-19 globalized manufacturing system has failed to respond and pave the way to the regionalization of the supply chain.

These trends post covid foster a more resilient healthcare model to expand the quality and reach of healthcare where global and local collaboration creates the ground for a new innovative way to serve people.