By Samir Boulazreg.
As semblances of normalcy gradually return following the COVID-19 pandemic, lingering effects related to attrition, burnout, and stress continue to drastically impact the healthcare system. The Bureau of Labor Statistics observed a loss of 524,000 U.S. healthcare workers from February 2020 to September 2021, bringing the healthcare infrastructure to the verge of collapse. The situation is similar in Canada. Making matters worse is new research from Elsevier Health that spans over 109 countries and that continents which indicates that a further third of professionals intend to leave the field within the next two to three years. This substantial loss in healthcare’s human resource is a worldwide issue that has forced the industry to think of new solutions that minimize labor shortage disruptions and does not come at the cost of patient care quality. In making pivots to the way healthcare operates, Telemedicine has so far proved itself to be a major player in healthcare reform.
Telemedicine, described as virtual treatment of patients through audiovisual technology, increases staff workflow efficiency, enables easier patient access to services, and allows for a reduction in healthcare related costs for both patients and clinicians. The future of Telemedicine is one which allows healthcare professionals to see patients across clinics, cities, and provinces/states in the same day without any physical displacement of caregiver or patient. However, there is still a technology gap for healthcare services that require patient contact. Noticing the healthcare reconceptualization that is currently underway, some companies have attempted to augment this solution through innovations within the Telemedicine realm. For instance, Wosler Corporation, a Canadian healthcare technology company is currently building a telemedicine platform of virtual healthcare labor, digitized clinics and interconnected robotic devices that would allow sonographers to conduct remote ultrasound scans of patients.
Wosler Corporation has already achieved a major milestone that showcases the wide-ranging potential of Telemedicine. Within the last month, Wosler Corporation conducted a fully virtual ultrasound scan by stationing a sonographer in London, Ontario with a remote-controlled device that preformed a scan 3500 km away in Wabasca, Alberta. Wosler Corporation’s aim, which is centered on improving the distribution of scarce human resources in healthcare, also expands into the artificial intelligence realm by its vision of relegating low-grade work to artificial intelligence programs. This would permit healthcare professionals to address more pressing issues when on the clock and allow for less distraction to be directed toward administrative aspects (e.g., data entry, triaging, etc.) Automation would allow the healthcare system to make a considerable shift in workflow productivity as many clinicians themselves are expecting to be relieved in this way. According to the aforementioned Elsevier Health international research survey, 56% of sampled doctors and nurses worldwide are expecting artificial intelligence support tools that will serve them in the bulk of their clinical decisions within the next decade.
Telemedicine also allows rural and remote areas to be served with far greater ease. Access to specialized medical services in these communities has been a long existing issue in healthcare, a problem that are not new to the healthcare field, making the future utility of Telemedicine likely ubiquitous. As a result, a strong case can made that the greatest indirect benefit that the pandemic left behind is the current evolution of the healthcare system. This evolution, expedited by companies like Wosler Corporation, will allow more patients to be seen, lessen the cost and burden on the healthcare system, and reduce several barriers related to access.
Samir Boulazreg is a freelance writer.