Healthcare in Asia is at a crossroads. On one hand, technological advancements in telehealth and digital pharmacies are opening up the possibilities for hospitals with dwindling workforces to serve more patients in less time. On the other hand, there are still many obstacles for healthcare providers to overcome before healthcare can become accessible to everyone.

Take Southeast Asia for example. In 2020, less than 0.6 doctors were available for every 1,000 people in the region. Considering that the proportion of people over 65 are expected to double between now and 2040 in Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, as well as East Asian South Korea, those low doctor-to-patient ratios can only be expected to fall even lower. In fact, in 2020, WHO explicitly stated that Southeast Asia needs another 1.9 million nurses and midwives by 2030 to achieve healthcare for all.

Use communication technology to increase employee productivity

While waiting for the gears of healthcare talent reinforcements to turn, institutions can tap into the power of communication technologies to multiply the productivity of their workforce. As things stand, healthcare workers are already reported to be some of the most overworked professionals. Smoothing out day-to-day processes with technology may therefore have an added benefit of retaining staff that might otherwise have considered leaving, in addition to streamlining communications and keeping staff, patients, and healthcare providers connected.

What the future of healthcare looks like

Investment in both healthcare and telecommunication technology has been pouring in since the start of the pandemic, as governments sought to fortify their systems and businesses worked to take advantage of new market opportunities. The global digital healthcare economy is now expected to reach $200 billion by 2025, with the APAC market growing at a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 21.2% to go from US$23,337 million in 2021 to US$74,025 million by 2027.

Remote access via telemedicine

Healthcare institutions are already making headway in formulating effective telemedicine strategies while also mitigating accessibility issues. Through the use of video conferencing tools, patients can receive diagnoses for light illnesses that only require a simple description of symptoms—just as one would do at the doctor’s office.

When combined with medical devices such as smartwatches, blood glucose monitors, and blood pressure cuffs, patients will be able to receive a more accurate health assessment without exposing themselves or their community to transmission risk. The technology is so advanced that experiments in Japan have been shown to reduce diagnostic error rates by around 30%.

Keep communication lines open

Recent global health situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic have warned us of the risks of overwhelming healthcare systems and shown us how communication technology can serve as a safeguard by preventing bottlenecks and streamlining healthcare management.

It is therefore pertinent for healthcare institutions to take the proactive step by connecting with patients in simpler, more direct ways. For example, by engaging with patients over popular chat apps that the patients already use, healthcare providers can bypass chokepoints and eliminate friction caused by having to download hospital-specific applications. Furthermore, this approach is more inclusive and enables patients to access healthcare services on their own terms. Furthermore, management systems such as 8x8 Converse, a chat-based customer service platform that supports all Chat Apps channels, help empower hospitals to serve varied demographics on a single dashboard.

Streamline administrative tasks in healthcare management

When paired with omnichannel communications platforms such as 8x8 Connect, tasks such as sending reminder texts and alert notifications can also be automated, allowing doctors and nurses to focus more on specialised care instead of routine administrative tasks. This can be done remotely while keeping patients safely distanced away from physical hospitals. What’s more, 8x8 Connect provides in-built analytics that will enable hospital administration to gain insights into how often patients are reading and responding to these messages at a glance, allowing them to improve and optimise the patient experience.

Improving work-life balance for traditional healthcare providers

Traditional healthcare providers such as family clinics don’t have to fall behind. Apart from the aforementioned benefits of remote diagnostics and automated administration, communication tools can provide smaller clinics with much needed staffing relief.

Instead of calling during office hours or making trips down to the clinic, patients can have their queries resolved via chat channels instead. This creates a win-win situation for doctors as well, who can expand their availability and achieve greater work-life balance without worrying about additional overhead costs of keeping their offices and counters manned during the holidays and rest days.

In this way, communication technologies can grant family doctors more personal time without compromising on service quality.

Build secure and efficient healthcare systems with 8x8 Communication APIs

Usher in the next generation of healthcare where accessible telemedicine, omnichannel communications, automated administration, and work-life balance are the norm. Manage all of this data and more with 8x8 Communication APIs, the communication tools with a historical track record of maintaining an unwavering security posture while expanding globally.

If you’re still unsure, book your full demo to see 8x8 in action.