Attributed to Louise Chang, MD, Global VP, Digital Content Strategy & Partnerships, Clinical Solutions at Elsevier.
COVID-19 has caused a seismic shift in the global healthcare landscape, amplifying existing issues and unveiling a new set of challenges for the future. In order to remain in line with evolving challenges and trends, the healthcare sector must listen and respond to the changing needs of clinicians, educators, students, and most importantly patients.
Over the last two years, we have seen how quickly the medical profession can change and adapt. Re-deployment of practising professionals, rapidly refreshing clinical skills to match novel modes of healthcare delivery, and the formation of new clinical teams were all vital elements that enabled healthcare organisations to meet the demand.
During such a period of fast-moving change, it is not surprising that the healthcare community has also faced challenges. At a time when we were all looking for evidence-based and trusted information to help us understand an unprecedented health emergency, we were instead faced with information overload in the form of an ‘infodemic’. Unreliable and inaccurate information spread quickly, causing uncertainty and mistrust among healthcare professionals and the wider community.
However, what was inspiring to see as we navigated the impact of COVID-19, was the positive change that can happen when people have access to accurate, evidence-based information. Trusting clinical information creates a greater sense of confidence, enabling better decision-making and treatment decisions, ultimately supporting better patient outcomes.
Reflecting on the lessons learned during the pandemic and focusing on how we can better help healthcare professionals meet these evolving challenges, Elsevier Health has developed Five Pillars to shape the Future of Health. These pillars focus on five core areas, the need to improve access to evidence-based information to tackle the infodemic, preparing future health professionals with effective tools and resources, providing insights that improve patient outcomes, delivering healthcare that is more inclusive, and supporting a more personalised and localised healthcare experience.
The recent Clinician of the Future global report from Elsevier Health also gave us additional insights into the challenges and opportunities that clinicians predict to see over the next 10 years as we move into a reality of ‘living with COVID.’ Of those clinicians surveyed, 97% agreed that the pandemic had been a key driver for change, along with the rise of non-communicable diseases (94%) and health inequity (81%) as areas that are shaping the future health landscape. This reinforces the need for a clear focus on collaboration, where inclusion and health equity are essential, using data to support evidence-driven insights, and supporting clinicians in identifying optimal care, whether for one patient or for a whole population.
By listening to clinicians and building on the insights we have gathered, we hope to better enable clinicians, health leaders, educators, and students to leverage knowledge, data, and technology to overcome the challenges they face every day, helping to improve patient outcomes now and in the future.
Find out more about the trends shaping the future of health here.
You can download Elsevier Health’s Clinician of the Future report in full here.
