What Does Healthcare Look Like in the Wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic?

The coronavirus pandemic has had an adverse impact on individuals, families, and small businesses alike. Even though it is good news that a lot of people are getting vaccinated, there is still a long way to go before we are fully on the other side. At the same time, a lot of restrictions are being limited because infection rates are dropping given that the weather is warming up and that vaccinations are being distributed. With this in mind, it is still important for hospitals to take a look at their operations and make sure that all of their resources are being used efficiently, particularly as many operations return to normal. What the hospitals need to think about when it comes to post-COVID hospital bed capacity optimization?

The Return of Elective Surgeries

One of the biggest issues that are taking place right now is the return of elective surgeries. It is good news that hospitals are starting to offer elective surgeries again. This is where the hospitals make a significant amount of money. At the same time, these elective surgeries are also going to take up a lot of hospital beds. Not every elective surgery can be done in an outpatient manner. Therefore, it is important for hospitals to take a look at how many elective surgeries they are doing per day. Then, they need to figure out how many of those patients will require hospital beds. That way, hospitals can make sure they schedule their patience efficiently.

The Issue of ER Holds

Another important issue right now has to do with holds in the emergency room. It is a chronic issue that a lot of hospitals have patients backing up into the ER. The reality is that this is not an efficient way to take care of patients. In order to make room in the emergency room, it is important for hospitals to do everything they can to open up more inpatient beds. This means taking a look at how many patients that usually have in the hospital, how many patients come to the ER regularly, and how many of those patients require hospital admission. That way, hospitals can alleviate the clog that is taking place in emergency rooms.

Looking at Local Vaccination Rates

Even though it is true that a lot of people are getting vaccinated, it is also true that vaccination rates vary markedly across the country. Therefore, hospitals need to take a look at the vaccination rates in their local region. This will help them figure out how many patients will actually need to come to the hospital with the coronavirus. Even though some hospitals may not have to think very much about the pandemic, there are other hospitals where vaccinations may be a lot lower. As a result, they may end up dealing with a lot of coronavirus patients even as the pandemic wanes in other parts of the country.

What Happens When the Winter Comes Back?

Finally, hospitals also have to think about what happens when the cold temperatures return. It is not exactly a secret that this virus is much more common during the winter. Therefore, what is it going to look like when the temperature drops again? Are there going to be dangerous mutations are variants that are in society? What is this going to mean for inpatient beds? It is important for hospitals to start planning now so they can deal with the increase in patient numbers when the winter comes back.

There Are Tools Available

These are just a few of the most important things that hospital administrators have to think about when it comes to efficiently using inpatient beds. Fortunately, there are resources available that can help hospital administrators get the most out of their inpatient beds. For example, iQueue for inpatient beds is a helpful tool that hospitals can use in order to make sure that their beds are being used efficiently. Given that space is at a premium right now, it is important for hospital systems to make sure they get the most out of each individual bet. That way, they can help as many people as possible and make sure they balance the bottom line.