The QliqMINUTE: Will the New Omicron Variant Devastate the Already Strained Healthcare System?

With the recent discovery of the Omicron Variant and concerns of another potential wave of COVID-19 arising, many healthcare leaders are wondering what this will mean moving forward. The current state of the healthcare workforce is already under significant strain. 18% of healthcare workers have retired or changed industries during the pandemic (1). The labor shortage paired with the increased workload has left healthcare professionals dealing with feelings of burnout and overwhelm. In a recent survey, 55% of front-line healthcare workers reported mental and physical exhaustion from chronic workplace stress(2). 

Although we know very little about the Omicron variant at this time, many leaders are already looking for ways to support their employees and increase efficiencies in the workplace. According to Dr. Lyle Berkowitz, QliqSOFT CMO and Physician Board Leader, another wave will likely increase the need for digital solutions, much like what we saw with the Delta variant. "Providers can leverage digital platforms in several ways to help reduce the workload of overburdened staff. A new variant will bring a lot of the same questions from patients. Automated healthcare chatbots can help patients get answers faster while saving care teams time,” said Dr. Berkowitz. Organizations can also utilize healthcare chatbots for triage purposes to help determine whether patients need a telehealth appointment or an in-office visit.

While we do not yet know how the new variant will impact the healthcare system, we do know that digital solutions can significantly reduce the workload of already strained clinical staff. QliqSOFT recently partnered with Coryell Health to streamline their COVID-19 testing process. Delivering results to patients previously required a team of 6 and took up to 10 hours a day to complete. A week after deploying QliqSOFT's healthcare chatbot Quincy, they reduced their personnel to a team of two and sped up the delivery of patient test results by 50%. Read the Coryell Case Study to learn more.