The pandemic was unprecedented, and people around the world stayed home to keep themselves safe. The same cannot be said for medical practitioners as they had to take care of patients in the hospitals. The scarcity of knowledge about the virus at the start of the pandemic increased the risk these practitioners faced every day.
By the middle of March, many healthcare professionals fell ill with the virus as the US health system braced for a surge in infections. With this in mind, innovations helped protect the people on the frontlines of the battle against the virus that swept across the world. Here are some ways technology allowed healthcare professionals to cope with the challenges of the pandemic.
Telehealth Services
The use of telehealth services expanded access to health services in the middle of the pandemic. The service’s popularity surged as it allowed medical practitioners to offer consultations and diagnoses to patients online. It reduced the risk of infection for patients even as they received help from their doctors without visiting the clinic or hospital.
On the other hand, the doctors also protected themselves from asymptomatic individuals who may be unaware of their condition since they did not exhibit any symptoms associated with the disease. The technology led to an upgrade that allowed doctors to monitor patients remotely. Tech solutions emerged that allowed them to check the vital signs of their patients without physically seeing them. The use of sensors allowed the doctors to do this.
Online Gaming
The pandemic upended the lives of healthcare professionals as they had to deal with the risk of getting infected while taking care of their patients. This was particularly true in areas where infection rates were high. The situation resulted in post-traumatic stress among many health professionals who also experience emotional burnout.
With this, companies started helping these professionals cope with the stress in their work. Studies conducted showed that video games might help reduce trauma among healthcare professionals. They may even offer positive health solutions to deal with PTSD after their exposure to distressing situations during the pandemic.
While the solution requires additional studies, medical institutions may want to create games to help reduce the stress these professionals feel. In this situation, institutions can outsource the development of games designed to treat PTSD among healthcare professionals. These video games can promote recovery or a form of medication for these professionals.
Online Shopping
The shelter-in-place directives compelled people to stay home to avoid getting infected. The situation also forced many businesses to close due to the lack of sales. But some businesses went online to connect with their customers, who also started shopping online for their basic needs.
The situation saw companies working on upgrading their online presence so their customers will easily see them. It also saw upgrades on websites that allowed customers to purchase products online. This increased demand for IT infrastructure and solutions allows these businesses to stay afloat during the pandemic.
Contactless Payments
The increase in online transactions also saw an increase in the use of contactless payment options. People shifted to this payment option to avoid getting infected by the virus. Many organizations also encouraged people to do so to prevent the spread of the virus. The use of digital payments made the transfer of funds convenient, easier, and safer.
The situation saw an increase in the demand for these digital payment options. People started paying using e-wallets, debit cards, and credit cards. An increase in online payment services, such as PayPal, Apple Pay, and Google Pay, was also noted. This also compelled e-commerce companies to upgrade their security to safeguard the sensitive information of their clients.
Work-From-Home Technologies
When states started imposing restrictions during the pandemic, many companies asked their employees to work from home. Big tech companies led the pack as they let their employees work from home to avoid getting infected.
The arrangement increased demand for remote working technologies as companies had to make sure their employees have the equipment and tools to remain productive. Businesses started using video conferencing software, cloud solutions, virtual private networks, and voice over internet protocols, among other work collaboration tools in the market.
Some of these companies continue the remote work arrangements after more than a year since the pandemic started. They even allowed their employees to work from home indefinitely. These companies also provided stipends for their employees to set up their workspace at home. The pandemic caused several challenges to people around the world, especially to healthcare professionals. But technology allowed them to cope with these challenges and continue their work until everything goes back to normal.
