Unmarked territory lies ahead.
In my opinion the future of health is an unsolved puzzle. There are a lot of pieces in play and we simply do not know how they will all exactly fit. This pandemic has really caused drastic overhauls to health care in Canada and around the world. There have been huge advancements in digital health and recognition of allied health professionals. However, the stress and demand of the pandemic has left health care in a fragile state. The desire to be a health care professional has diminished and burn out has caused mass exodus of individuals in the health care field.
Professionally as a Respiratory Therapist (RT), this pandemic has shined a huge light on our profession. There is much more awareness and recognition of the profession by the general public. Before it was unlikely you knew what a respiratory therapist does (Collie, 2020). But that has shifted now, as RTs have been in multiple headlines in the news and across social media. COVID-19 brought the role of RTs more into clear focus (Bauers, 2021). Although burnout, increased workload, staffing shortages and poor compensation has made being a RT undesirable. In a study by Miller et al (2021), 79% of RTs that were surveyed stated they felt burnt out. These are some of the barriers the professional will face in the years to come. These sentiments are being similarly echoed by other health care professionals as well.
Telehealth has really changed the course of health care. I am excited to see where it takes us in the future. The pandemic exacerbated the use of telehealth. Prior to the pandemic, in 2018–2019, clinicians conducted only 8% of their clinical visits virtually but during the pandemic this percentage increased to approximately 60% in Canada (Mohammed et al, 2021). The increased use of telehealth has established and seen great benefits for patients. It has been noted to have higher patient satisfaction, better access to care, decrease in costs and increased access to specialist care (Mohammed et al, 2021). However, some challenges are digital competency among both healthcare providers and patients, affordability and accessibility of technology required and internet access (Mohammed et al, 2021). I believe telehealth has a place in rural areas where travel is an issue, for simple routine check ups, prescription refills, obtaining requisitions for bloodwork/x-rays, referrals for specialist etc. Telehealth should be used as an aide to support the delivery of health care. Replacing some aspects with telehealth will help ease accessibility in our health care system.
Like any unsolved puzzle, the picture takes time to develop. All the pieces need to fit into place and line up correctly. I am sure this will be the case as well with Canada’s health care system. Advancements in technology continue to help aide our health care system but the key is health care professionals. Focusing on maintaining and developing skilled health care professionals should be the top priority. Technological advancements in health care are nothing without skilled health care professionals who can operate them.
References:
Bauers, S. (2021). Respiratory therapists became the unsung heroes of the pandemic. Here’s what they do. | 5 Questions. The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved April 3, 2022 from https://www.inquirer.com/health/coronavirus/respiratory-therapists-became-unsung-heroes-pandemic-heres-what-they-do-5-questions-20210505.html
Collie, M. (2020). Respiratory therapists may be the ‘best kept secret’ in the fight against coronavirus. Global News. Retrieved April 3, 2022 from https://globalnews.ca/news/6857158/coronavirus-respiratory-therapist/
Miller, A. G., Roberts, K. J., Smith, B. J., Burr, K. L., Hinkson, C. R., Hoerr, C. A., Rehder, K. J., Strickland, S. L., Caraway, L., Haynes, J., Tanner, D., Von Kannewurff, P. A., & Aguirre-Kuehl, C. (2021). Prevalence of Burnout Among Respiratory Therapists Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic. Respiratory care, respcare.09283. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.4187/respcare.09283
Mohammed, H. T., Hyseni, L., Bui, V., Gerritsen, B., Fuller, K., Sung, J., & Alarakhia, M. (2021). Exploring the use and challenges of implementing virtual visits during COVID-19 in primary care and lessons for sustained use. PloS one, 16(6), e0253665. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0253665
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