The top priority of all governments and healthcare organizations has to be addressing the current crisis and how to mitigate the further spread of COVID-19 through global policy efforts. However, with governments and those in the private sector quickly implementing changes for different healthcare organizations and granting flexibilities to providers to deliver care in novel and innovative ways, the healthcare sector should also think about the opportunities that these changes offer and how they could be sustained post the current crisis. Some of the adjustments made will only be appropriate for treatment and research purposes during this crisis, but there will be many potential options for leveraging pandemic-related care practices in future-facing policy structures.
HIMSS—as a global thought leader which supports governments, along with the private sector and other healthcare stakeholders—recommends the following strategies in combating the COVID-19 pandemic and future public health emergencies that can further transform our global healthcare system.
Governments, businesses, and civil society leaders and elected officials are called to recognize the important role and value of health information and technology during a health emergency and to work across government agencies and with communities and businesses to prioritize actions that leverage sound health data, the tools of informatics and the innovative solutions outlined in this Global Policy Call to Action.
- Global Policy Strategic Action 1: Establish a Flexible and Adaptable Healthcare Environment
- Global Policy Strategic Action 2: Build a Foundation of Interoperable Platforms To Facilitate Broad-Based Data Exchange
- Global Policy Strategic Action 3: Ensure That Privacy Security and Cybersecurity Protocols Meet the Needs of Current or Pending Crises
- Global Policy Strategic Action 4: Enhance Global Disease Surveillance and Data Analytics Capacity
- Global Policy Strategic Action 5: Visualize Future Permanent Health System Changes
Read more: https://www.himss.org/resources/covid-19-global-policy-call-action-report
