The coronavirus pandemic has led us to think about the longer-term structural reforms necessary in the U.S. healthcare system, which include telehealth investment, medical supply chain tracking and coordination improvements.
These are among the findings mentioned in the report from the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. This report offers answers and recommendations about coordinated response to future pandemics, protection of frontline healthcare workers and improved EHR interoperability.
Among the other recommendations the report also mentions the need to make electronic medical records interoperable, more accessible and searchable by public health personnel to help state and federal situational awareness and emergency management.
The study recommends that pilot projects to gauge the feasibility of improved EHR interoperability should be considered. There is a need to incorporate telehealth technologies into the healthcare ecosystem.
Assuming that the pandemic would limit outpatient clinic visits in many parts of the country, the report mentions the need for an “immediate” ramping up of telehealth capabilities and notes that use of telemedicine will continue to rise.
The report cautioned that healthcare facilities need to be scrutinized carefully. We need to know what may or may not be suitable for telemedicine visit, and treat these visits with parity to not disincentivize the use of telemedicine.
With regard to PPE, the federal government needs to create a centralized information-sharing system so that, during an emergency situation, states and healthcare facilities work collaboratively while they source PPE and other scarce medical supplies.
The report noted a much greater level of tracking and coordination of the medical supply chain is vital across all medical products and the formation of a new governing body with broader powers could be needed.
The report concluded by pointing out that the pandemic has clearly shown the need for a more robust healthcare preparedness and some fundamental changes in US health policy.
These recommendations would need billions of dollars, but they may provide day-to-day benefits in the quality of patient care. Also, they will cost less than the trillions being spent at present, because the public health and healthcare system wasn’t prepared and equipped for this pandemic.