10 years ago, the healthcare industry looked very different than it does now. In fact, when you compare what healthcare was like 10 years ago to how it is now, you’ll notice that there are numerous differences. From new treatments to new insurance plans and laws. Many of these changes spearheaded with the use of technology. Progress in medical science and increasing regulations have had a major impact on how both doctors and patients see the delivery of healthcare. Whether it’s creating more efficient and effective ways to deliver routine health services or providing life-changing treatments, advancements continue to improve physicians’ ability to save and enhance your life. The online world has also helped the distribution of these improved healthcare services, one can easily Google skin cancer treatment Rowville and find a location as quickly as one might get an OTC medication.

Here are 3 ways the healthcare industry has changed in the past decade

1. Increased Accessibility

In the past decade, healthcare has become more accessible. This is due to a lot of funding and investment being put into the industry by governments and private corporations.

A large number of governmental programs have helped to make healthcare more accessible. For example, Canada’s health care program helped increase accessibility to those that needed it most. In addition to this many private corporations have been contributing money toward improving healthcare accessibility in countries with high poverty rates like Brazil.

The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) has been funding research on how to provide healthcare to the people in developing countries. They fund all kinds of research, from mental health to public health, and focus mostly on conditions that are prevalent in these countries. The NIHR spent £2 billion from 2005-2006 targeting public health issues like malaria and tuberculosis. Now, the NIHR continues its funding in a variety of ways, demonstrating its keenness to support innovation again by awarding grants in regards to studies on the Covid-19 pandemic.

2. Technological Innovations

Technology has always been subject to constant change and the healthcare industry has also benefited from its impact. From major breakthroughs such as the creation of the MRI or the advent of laparoscopic surgery to minor launches such as digital thermometers, it seems there have been new inventions at every turn. Moreover, the Internet has changed the way we medicate, how we learn about and manage our illnesses, and how we treat diseases. Social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook have helped raise awareness of important health issues, providing healthcare professionals with a platform for information sharing and developing new solutions to major health problems worldwide.

In recent years, AI has also been at the forefront of change as major health-tech companies try to find ways in which it can be leveraged to find out how certain treatments will affect patients and even predict when patients may suffer from a cardiac attack. As such, over time, people have come to accept the positive impact of technology on healthcare, and having better understood the basics, are able to receive treatments they might have rejected in the past due to superstitions or old mindsets.

3. Covid-19 Pandemic’s Impact

The Covid-19 pandemic changed the healthcare industry in significant and long-lasting ways. In fact, it changed the landscape of healthcare so much that we can hardly regard what healthcare was like before the outbreak. The effects of the covid-19 pandemic spanned across many aspects of life. From the impact on public health systems, to the economic impacts on individuals, communities, and even global markets. The pandemic led to the healthcare companies creating the fastest ever vaccine to be made. It allowed people to understand the impact that pressure on institutions for change can deliver. Moreover, it created an opportunity for people to increase their trust upon the healthcare industry because of the transparency that was present while information on the pandemic was shared.

One can expect to see a ripple effect of this efficiency on the rest of the healthcare industry. As people become more aware of what the appropriate amount of funding can do to the landscape of healthcare, more positive outcomes will come out of it. Such has already been seen through the recent victory of professionals to create a vaccine for HIV.

Overall, the world of healthcare has changed almost entirely in the past decade. The manner in which the technological advancements are taking place and how awareness through social media is increasing, one can expect these changes will only grow. There is now, more than ever, a requirement as well as an expectation for the healthcare industry to become more people-oriented. It is quite interesting to see what results this will bring in the coming years.

Photo by Ani Kolleshi on Unsplash