In the US alone, there are more than 200,000 COVID-19 cases, with about 4,500 deaths as of the beginning of April 2020. These numbers keep increasing each day massively. With the ongoing lock down, we do assume that the situation is being maintained. Everyone else in the nation is on quarantine as the doctors and nurses strive to contain the crisis.
Generally, when it comes to healthcare management, we look at situations like cost management in terms of profits and growth. To match healthcare objectives with the ongoing health crisis, we can come up with a few strategies that would better the COVID-19 situation. The goal is for our hospitals and related facilities to be as efficient as possible.
Patient Education
There is so much to learn about COVID-19, and we can bet that not everyone in the country is aware. Starting from what it is, to how it’s communicable, and its symptoms and remedies. Due to its fast-spreading nature (airborne), hospitals need to enhance patient education on the matter.
When a doctor attends to his patient, he or she should enlighten the patient on the subject. The hospital can also decide to hang info-graphic posters on the hospital walls. Another remarkable move is to give out informational pamphlets to every patient who walks into the hospital.
System Management
The IT gurus should be 10 times prompt in action when a system goes down or slows. They should also try and create faster (maybe cloud-based) systems that would help hasten the process of patient registration and payment. There can also be several methods of payment to cover each patient’s ability.
It would be thoughtful to make most of the heavy workload tech-sorted. If there’s a system for every activity, then the staff members will have more time to cater to the patients. The staff members will not be exhausted but be more energetic to handle a large number of growing cases.
Patient Care Management
Several things need to come into place for patients to be cared for with urgency and efficiency. Let’s start with the staff members. Doctors and nurses should be many in one facility. As COVID-19 strikes masses at once, a hospital cannot afford to have fewer doctors.
The other aspect is caring for patients that are in hospital but without the COVID-19. People are still getting unwell from other diseases and conditions. This doesn’t mean that they deserve to get worse by contacting COVID-19. Therefore, each health facility should have a physical system where COVID-19 patients and other patients don’t intermingle.
Another care system would be to keep every patient 6 feet away from each other. When a patient walks into a health facility, they should be given a mask to cover their nose and mouth and gloves. This means that those who might unknowingly have COVID-19 won’t accidentally infect the rest.
Infrastructure Management
As COVID-19 affects each state by the day, it would be helpful if more health facilities (even clinics) are established in different areas. This will make accessing healthcare very easy once someone realizes the disease symptoms. It will reduce the risk of traveling and infecting more people.
In the main hospitals, there should be enough wards or rooms that can admit patients. Having an overcrowded ward wing is a sign of poor management. Beds should be added, and equipment multiplied.
During an emergency, there should be nurses on standby with hospital beds or wheelchairs to hastily get the patient to the emergency room. Emergency rooms should be accessible throughout.
Leadership and Investment
As the MD of a health facility, you should make a point in investing in different aspects such as websites and social media advertising. In these platforms, you can help spread the word on the crisis and give people information on the best ways to stay clear of the virus.
You can invest in clinical camps for the public, and even hire interns and graduates to help with the easy bits that tend to be too much. You also have to keep checking on your staff and encouraging them on a daily basis.
You can ensure there is a frequent rotation for them to rest easy and not become derailed. Provide tea and other refreshments to keep them energetic and hydrated throughout their work.
Customer Satisfaction Is Key
For customers to be satisfied with your healthcare services, they need to be attended to on time, and accurately, they need to leave the hospital in a better condition than how they came. Coming up with feedback receipts where each customer can give their valued feedback will help improve the healthcare facility. Hopefully, with more health facilities practicing excellent management, the COVID-19 disease will soon be gone.
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