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Digital technology: What to expect post-pandemic
Since lockdown measures were imposed on March 23, the use of digital technology has soared as families were advised to stay at home, and businesses instructed to support employees by allowing them to work from home. In this feature by Pacific Prime UK, we look at how digital technology has been helping individuals and businesses remain safe, but also provide insight into what a post-pandemic UK digital society could look like.
Adapting to a digital way of life
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has shifted consumer’s physical interactions to increasingly digital interactions. Since the UK went into full lockdown, we have seen tools, online operating platforms, and CRM systems offer users more freedom in the way business is conducted. For example, e-commerce, which has been available for many years has had a major boost in sales during the pandemic. Businesses, especially in retail, seem to be bucking the trend of moving operations online as their stores remain closed for the foreseeable future. As the pandemic continues to ravage the state of the UK economy, many more business leaders may be crunching numbers and revising their business models to stay up to date with the changes and needs of their clients.
Remote working likely to stay
Under the advice of the UK government, many organizations have enforced safety measures to keep their workforce safe. One of the key measures is to instruct employees to work from home or work remotely. The sudden shift in working condition, however, brought a new set of challenges such as prioritising work, managing time, caring for the kids, and managing mental health concerns. However, as time passes many will find that this approach may become a choice for them.
Employers are looking at ways to embrace this change and channel resources and support to help workers perform better offsite. Other than helping the workforce at home by investing in mobile devices like laptops, communication software, VPNs, and collaboration tools, employers may look to investing in their business models and reevaluating unnecessary expenses. As employees are able to perform their tasks at home, there may be considerations to ultimately downsize their real estate and invest further online, and go digital as a whole.
Healthcare embraces telehealth
GP surgeries, clinics, and healthcare professionals have been urged to reduce face-to-face consultations with patients exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19. Instead, they have been advised to heed caution and practice telecommunication. The NHS has gone to great lengths to recruit hundreds of additional staff to answer 111 calls and reduce the pressure on the health system. NHSX, a joint unit of NHS digital professionals recently announced an initiative for suppliers who can offer digital solutions to support members of the public under self-isolation orders.
GPs are doing much of their consultations online or via telephone as patients are stuck at homes due to the country’s lockdown measures. An example of a widely-used video chat tool for telehealth is an app called accuRX. Many GPs have turned to online consultations via accuRx to stay in touch with patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Physicians believe that it’s a radically different primary care model that won’t go away once the COVID-19 pandemic ends.
Will telehealth play a continued role in UK society post-pandemic?
Exposure to medical facilities is a risk when they are inundated with people suffering from infectious diseases, like COVID-19. UK society, as a whole, can expect telehealth to become commonplace. Digital technology will increasingly emerge to support remote consultation with physicians, including diagnostics and treatment tools. As demands increase, so will the need for greater solutions and digital innovations to relieve pressure on healthcare professionals and resources. More so, the proliferation of in-home medical devices that are powered by the IoT revolution will facilitate doctors with remote diagnostic tools to assess patients.
Current examples include:
- Heart-rate monitoring
- Wearable technology, such as fitness trackers
- Blood pressure monitoring
Health insurance and digital technology
According to a 2019 report by Consumer Intelligence, the UK health insurance market was lagging behind competing markets in Africa, Asia, and the US when it came to providing online portals for their customers. Of the 1,637 insurance customers surveyed, 47% of health insurers had an online customer portal, meaning more than half of insurers didn’t have a digital platform in place to serve their customers. The result showed that more was needed to be done to offer better solutions and access to customers by incorporating digital technology into the insurer’s business model and future objectives.
By the end of 2019, insurance companies began moving towards more consumer-focused business models, including offering insurance on a “pay-as-you-go” basis. According to the Telegraph, smartphones had an enormous impact by putting power in the hands of buyers who want access to information as well as the tools to analyse and purchase insurance products.
On top of that, the application of big data and blockchain technologies have been helping companies to develop new ways of purchasing insurance. It is clear that UK insurers are being led by the needs of the consumer, rather than the demands to sell policies. With the pandemic still ever-present in the UK, insurers will be adapting and listening closely to consumers and providing future solutions that are only possible with digital technology.
Learn more from Pacific Prime UK
Pacific Prime UK is a division of a much bigger and global workforce that advises on a number of insurance plans including
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His expert view and wealth of knowledge on insurance can also be found in his blogs for the UK, China, Dubai, Thailand, Hong Kong, and Singapore.
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