The pandemic has made communication between care teams and families particularly challenging, leading hospitals to seek new ways to reach out to loved ones who often can’t be by a patient’s side—or even in the waiting room—during a surgery. Having a means to communicate securely beyond the hospital walls, whether the receiving family member is waiting in their car outside the facility or at home across the country, is essential for reducing anxiety, increasing understanding, and creating a better healthcare experience.

Physicians have become all too familiar with the inefficiencies of EHRs; they hinder decision-making, decrease productivity, and are a leading cause of physician burnout, according to numerous surveys and studies. Burnout is a recognized threat to patient safety and care quality, and one of the most important reasons that healthcare leaders can no longer accept perpetual delays that are forcing clinicians to continue using inefficient systems.

Digital health requires the effective involvement of health professionals, whether for telemedicine, video conferences, or mobile applications for consultations, screenings, or follow-up. To their credit, when the pandemic hit, hospitals and care units acted immediately in response to this need to maintain collaboration and care for their patients.

Telehealth increasingly is helping school nurses meet students’ physical and mental health needs, both in school and virtually—and lawmakers are recognizing its importance. At Children’s Health in Dallas, our partnership with over 225 schools across the Dallas metro area provides vital access to specialty support for children and teens and guidance around infection control.