Changed For The Better: A Shared Digital Communication Solution

Fortunately for humans, we’re masters at adaptation. Whether it’s encountering different climates, environments, cultures, or even pandemics, homo sapiens have a knack for being able to deal with just about anything that Mother Nature throws at us. Though cultural anthropology dubs this ability to acclimate “biological plasticity,” actor Clint Eastwood, as a Marine in a 1980s war film, puts it more succinctly: “You adapt. You overcome. You improvise.”

That innate attribute has quite literally been a lifesaver throughout history. But perhaps never more so recently than in the past 18 months as we’ve tackled the myriad impacts and changes brought on by COVID-19. Time after time, medical science and healthcare have rallied to overcome the setbacks posed by the pandemic. Yet aside from the virus’s incalculable human tragedy, it’s irrevocably changed how we live, work, and communicate. This requirement to adapt also has highlighted the key role technology has played in helping us to adjust to these new realities—including in healthcare.

As a society, when in-person interaction wasn’t safe, we adapted and turned to technology to provide us with the answers. We took advantage of digital tools to work from home, participate in online schooling, conduct business through video conferencing, and chat and socialize with others. Not surprising, there were spikes in the use of digital communication tools like texting, video calls, social media, and smartphone apps. In one study, 43 percent of people found that they were texting more than they did before COVID-19.

And though this phenomenon of amplified digitalization was well underway among businesses, consumers, and providers before the pandemic, COVID-19 was fuel on the fire. In just a few months, the digital transformation among businesses was accelerated by “three to four years,” according to McKinsey. Direct, face-to-face interactions waned as we adjusted to the new normal of relying on technological tools to connect with patients and deliver care. Telehealth visits skyrocketed, and patients began getting important appointment messages and COVID-19-related information more quickly and conveniently via text messaging.