WE'RE ALL WONDERING...
LEN LANGKAU
President & Founder, Wiser Wings, Inc. | Supportive connections for social workers who assist seniors and their families
What will online policies begin to look like for healthcare in view of reduced regulatory pressure?
Given the collective focus on halting the spread of corona virus throughout the world, it’s difficult to look back now and even imagine that we’d be seeing its effects on our economy, and the potential for overwhelming our healthcare systems as we are seeing today.
No doubt, even more surprises lie ahead for healthcare providers as consumers consider the effects of this crisis on their everyday lives.
In its online publication this past week, POLITICO Magazine[1] offered up a number of ideas on how our society will change as a result of the corona virus battle.
More than 30 “smart, macro thinkers” were surveyed for the article. They looked broadly at the roles of government, healthcare, the economy, and our lifestyles, as they offered their best guesses on what this change will look like.
“Buckle In. This could be bigger.”
If you choose to study the article in greater depth, you may be pleased to see predictions of declining polarization in society, new types of reform in our health-care system, a greater sense of inter-dependency, community, and an appreciation for science.
Knowing there are probably a few micro-thinkers like me out there, I found a few interesting projections from the POLITICO piece, that address the effects of the pandemic on how we relate to, and interact within the communities we live in and serve:
· Our new awareness when it comes to touching things, being close to others in confined spaces, or breathing the same air, will stay with us as we continue to look for reasons to avoid meeting in person.
· Online communications will help forge better connections among more people who are physically farther away, with the actual distance making them feel safer.
· We’ll come to a new understanding of American patriotism, as those engaged in the fight against corona virus aren’t from the ranks of our military. Instead they are our healthcare professionals, caregivers, teachers, store clerks, utility workers, small business owners and their employees, who at great sacrifice and risk, cultivate “the health and life” of their communities. (Just as fire fighters and first responders were recognized in the wake of 9/11).
· “Regulatory barriers to online tools will fall.” Relaxation of Medicare rules affecting the use of telemedicine, and HIPAA rules to permit greater use of everyday technologies such as Skype and email to interact with patients and colleagues.
Community: A common denominator.
It’s a term that cuts widely across many facets of healthcare, as the industry seeks to engage patients closer to where they live.
The Oxford Dictionary defines the word community as a group of people living in the same place, as in a senior care community, or having a particular characteristic in common, such as being a member of the healthcare community.
There are Continuing Care Retirement Communities, Community-based healthcare, Community-based health initiatives, Community-based Health Providers. There are communities of specialty care, and communities of nursing home residents.
Even a senior’s sense of community becomes an indicator that guides the recommendations of care staff as it becomes necessary to consider long term care options.
Does the broad use of the term community in healthcare end there? Of course not.
I appreciate the collaborative nature of healthcare, and in particular senior care. If you’re like me, you have your own experiences and stories that draw you in. It’s one of the few industries I know of that has such a deep sense of shared mission and values.
Being a part of any successful community will always require that we avoid isolation, with minds open to new ideas, and ways of doing things.
These are turbulent times for sure, but there’s always hope; the kind that comes from the experiences and difficult times of our past.
[1]POLITICO. Coronavirus Will Change the World Permanently. Here's How. Retrieved from POLITICO Magazine: