To Prepare:
Review the Resources and select one current national healthcare issue/stressor to focus on.
Reflect on the current national healthcare issue/stressor you selected and think about how this issue/stressor may be addressed in your work setting.

Post a description of the national healthcare issue/stressor you selected for analysis, and explain how the healthcare issue/stressor may impact your work setting. Then, describe how your health system work setting has responded to the healthcare issue/stressor, including a description of what changes may have been implemented. Be specific and provide examples.

Virtual-Based Care in Healthcare

The advancement in technology sets a digital front for organizations in the healthcare sector that entirely operates and functions on technology; in other words, it is a technology-driven type of healthcare. Patients interact with doctors, physicians, and medical consultants through videos, calls, and even text. The media through which the interaction is conducted varies from the simple texts through virtual sites or applications to virtual meetings through videoconferencing (Gogia, 2019). Virtual based care has become prevalent among people mainly because it is seen as a cost-saving approach as they avoid traveling, the burden of time, and other extra expenses incurred when visiting the brick and mortar healthcare facilities. It is due to this aspect that the virtual healthcare industry has grown with almost 87% of the population seeking virtual care assistance, hence the accumulation of over $36M net revenue.

Virtual based care has impacted my work setting both positively and negatively, including increasing convenience and accessible care for patients and increased savings. However, the shift to integrating virtual based technology has been faced with restructuring problems in terms of staff training and the acquisition of the required equipment. Moreover, the aspect of care continuity has highly been reduced and affected, especially when a physician can monitor over 30 patients at once, time to look up historical health records is insufficient, hence, decreased care quality and continuity (AHA, 2016). Overlay, virtual based care has been embraced in my work setting positively with the organization making changes in the policies, care providence channels, and staff training on the new opportunity.

There are new equipment and projects underway to incorporate and integrate the virtual based care option to the patients and people. The organization is creating awareness through the communication and marketing department to inform the patients and people of the new virtual medical care channel. There is also a staff training in response to the newly telemedicine program developed to ensure effective telemedicine service, continued healthcare, and substantial ROI. The organization understands that the advancement in technology is an opportunity and a threat to the business life cycle, sustainability, and survival (Taylor, 2018). Hence, there are changes to embrace the technology to sustain its business life cycle and promote healthcare providence effectively. Besides, digital commerce has highly influenced consumer behavior where people in the modern world prefer seeking assistance, consulting, or even making purchases through the online platform. The organizations that have embraced the digital economy hence have the upper hand and competitive advantage in the industry, hence the decision to change and integrate virtual based healthcare in my workplace.

References

AHA. (2016). Telehealth: Helping Hospitals Deliver Cost-Effective Care. Washington DC: America Hospital Association.

Gogia, S. B. (2019). Fundamentals of Telemedicine and Telehealth. Elsevier Science & Technology.

Taylor, K. (2018). Connected Health: How digital technology is transforming health and social care. Deloitte Centre for Health Solutions.