Healthcare Services in the Post-COVID-19 Era

초록

The global outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) has accelerated the shift to remote work in many industries to prevent the spread of this infectious disease. As direct person-to-person contact was circumvented, consumers’ purchasing behaviors have rapidly transitioned to online media. The COVID-19 pandemic is expected to have lasting impacts on the traditional method of doing business in the post-pandemic era. In particular, contactless services are becoming the new normal in the healthcare industry. To prevent secondary COVID infection of medical staff and patients, innovative healthcare service models are required that allow patients to receive medical treatment and/or prescriptions from doctors through video, phone, and e-mails without visiting the hospital. This study presents the opportunities and challenges for “untact” (no personal contact) healthcare services in the post-coronavirus disease (COVID-19) era. Through a literature review, we analyzed representative cases of telemedicine services that were utilized during the COVID-19 pandemic and interviewed South Korean healthcare experts from four hospitals to better understand the opportunities and challenges that healthcare services will be presented with in the post-COVID-19 era. This study suggests that there are many opportunities and challenges for healthcare institutions, policymakers, and consumers regarding the implementation of untact services when preparing for the post-COVID-19 era.