In the past year, the healthcare industry has experienced massive and intense changes which nobody would have imagined. The COVID-19 pandemic put all healthcare workers as front liners in combating and managing the spread of the virus.
Despite the situation having stabilized, there still lies a lot of uncertainty as we are still researching the virus and even though a vaccine has been found, its effectiveness is yet to be proven. As the pandemic continues to wear on, these are the changes that have taken place within the healthcare sector.
With everything shifting towards the digital side of things, healthcare providers are now offering services to patients via digital platforms. Hospitals are flooded with COVID 19 patients and those suffering from other ailments still need treatment but not at the risk of contracting the virus. The general public is also sceptical about visiting hospitals physically lest they catch something. The shift to digital treatment means that healthcare providers will need to up their Information Technology literacy and still provide exceptional service even in a digital setting.
Soft skills such as good leadership and communication proved to be highly valuable to drive operational success. The importance of good teamwork and culture was also realized during the heat of the pandemic. These values will be important for health workers to possess in 2021 and beyond because they determined how well a healthcare facility could adapt to disruption.
