How can virtual health help balloon the capacity in COVID19 surge?

COVID19 is threatening a possible surge in demand for both ambulatory and impatient services. Infrastructure,workforce and equipment are the areas which are likely to be impacted. In terms of infra, US has about 46000 ICU beds already operating at full time capacity.

Virtual Consultancy can pave the road to success

Even the moderate impact with measures of social distancing would still result in 200,000 patients in need of ICU and hospitalization.Although the inpatient capacity exist, but it is unevenly distributed. Even if all the ICU beds were to be freed up for COVID19 patients, the total capacity would still have to be raised by 72%.

What is Virtual Health?

It embodies the way where providers of healthcare can virtually interact with the patients via Telemedicine, telecommunication, live chat bots and instant video and audio pathways.

Role of Virtual Health in COVID19

From freezing the existing supply to increasing the capacity of Healthcare system, virtual health is the boon during this time.

1. It can tap into the geographies that are not currently the COVID19 hot-spot.
2. It can help reduce the staff pressure and lessen the use of protective equipment required. Say, for example, ER doctors can now be virtually available for the patients.
3. Providers who are to be self-quarantined can still be able to attend the patients through virtual ways.
4. The capacity of scare-intensive care physicians can be neutralized by e-ICU solutions which the specialist can connect remotely to the needful.
5. It can allow hospital-at-home solutions that can then benefit more rapid discharge of the patients.

So the coda goes

With rambling workforce capacity and healthcare system, virtual health can help lessen the impact and balance the inpatient and outpatient services by:

• Creating new capacity: By virtual consulting, e-ICU
• Managing the supplies: By help balancing the degree of services through online portals.
• Protecting individual from high-risk environment: By online consultancy and reducing the overcrowding of in person visits.