The COVID-19 pandemic has hastened the urgency to develop and implement a vision of healthcare that focuses on meeting patients’ needs. But where must focus be placed and changes be made in order for the system to succeed, both today and in the future?
Improving the healthcare system starts with placing emphasis on the overall health and wellbeing of individuals, ensuring that healthcare professionals do not shy away from untraditional avenues of delivering care that will better serve the population. COVID-19 demonstrated that we must enhance our delivery of healthcare services outside of the hospital. In order to ensure that patients in their homes and communities receive a continuity of care, interventions such as shifting to virtual home visits, supporting long term care, and optimizing care delivered in clinical settings are key. Designing strategic home healthcare systems that are engaging for patients and families, as well as developing integrated community care in order to prevent unnecessary hospital visits and reduce admissions will serve as the foundation of an improved healthcare system. Additionally, the integration of digital tools with in-person healthcare delivery will remove obstacles that bar patients’ access to care. Adopting these changes as the pillars of the system will benefit not only those who deliver care, but will ultimately enable patients and families to live better-quality lives.
Bernard Lord expressed that if we want to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic stronger, we must ask difficult questions regarding the future of healthcare in Canada. The pandemic reinforced the notion that “care is an action, and not a place,” and therefore we must be willing, ready, and able to rethink our perception of care and how it is delivered in order to better support patients.
Click here to learn more about the roadmap for creating a better healthcare system for the future.
Summary by: Claire Lipton