This document examines eleven critical areas of need for healthcare delivery when operating in, and responding to, a pandemic. It is based on the experience of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic from the perspective of public health, epidemiology, providers, hospital executive management, nursing, regulatory/policy, technology, and specifically telemedicine. The intent is to provide a Pandemic Technology Response Plan, which outlines the critical needs for healthcare providers and then provides solution ideas using telemedicine and related technologies for each of the eleven critical areas. The intent is to provide an “action plan” that any healthcare provider organization can use and apply. This is Phase Two of the project.
- Project Background and Summary
- 11 Critical Needs and Challenge Areas:
- Keeping care protocols up-to-date
- Keep the hospital open
- Divert the potentially infected before they arrive at the hospital
- Replace and/or cover for infected staff, provide for critical care staff needs
- COVID-19 containment in the hospital/clinic
- Provide access to urgent care, ongoing care/follow-up care for current patients
- Provide care at home, create ability to rotate patients out of the hospital
- Support remote work for staff
- Behavioral health
- Transportation
- Public Health
- Project Conclusions
- Think Tank Team Members and Project Disclaimer
- References