Providence’s Digital Innovation Group has been leading the health care industry in responding to the pandemic since before COVID-19 spread across the country. As the health system initially laid the foundation for trust among employees and patients by unlocking digital opportunities, it has continued innovating on top of that to distribute care, leverage new supply chain models, and institute more flexibility into its workforce and facilities. Building on those advancements, Providence is extending care services where the potential for technology has been acknowledged but not previously adequately leveraged: to better serve vulnerable people and under-resourced communities and to effectively scale behavioral health services — where technology intersects with the human element.
Health Evolution and Providence’s Digital Innovation Group aligned to produce a three-part series sharing Providence’s Digital Innovation Group’s experience with other innovators and to inform strategy development for battling COVID-19 and moving into the digital future.
With the pandemic already having negatively impacted the mental health of many Americans, and the medical and scientific communities just starting to grasp what could become the potential long-term hazards of COVID-19, the need and the opportunity to serve vulnerable and under-resource people with enhanced physical and mental care will only become more critical as the U.S. health care system moves into the future.
With one estimate projecting that distributed and virtual care will create a $250 billion revenue opportunity, the implications for U.S. health care are enormous.
“While some regions of the country may experience a backlog of care, early data indicates regions hit hardest by COVID-19 cases and economic fallout will be met with slow but consistent return. As health systems enter the recovery phase with depressed per capita utilization, they must take swift action in reducing capital expenditures, consolidating service lines and rationalizing physical assets where possible.”
– Aaron Martin and Sara Vaezy of Providence
Looking toward the future one thing is clear: Digital will be the backbone of health care.
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