The pandemic created a lot of hardships, but it also fostered significant creativity. For marketing and print service providers, we saw pivots from existing printed products to specially designed products to address some of these newly created issues. One example would be the role that sign and display companies played in developing safe distancing signage and protection dividers, or the many print service providers that were creating PPE face shields. However, one of the less discussed initiatives was in support of connected care or telemedicine. 

Telemedicine grew more than 6,000% during the pandemic, according to a study by Definitive Healthcare. According to Roy Jakobs, Chief Business Leader Connected Care from Royal Phillips, “Healthcare is an industry that usually moves slower. But the COVID-19 outbreak has forced health systems and innovators to pivot and adapt quickly. We’ve made 10 years of progress in three months. Connecting care is finally becoming a reality.” 

With that rate of growth, and no preparation, how were healthcare providers (doctors) expected to provide the care needed remotely for seniors over 65 in the Medicare Advantage space who were on extreme lockdown and had normal preventative care or surgery visits deferred? According to Nicole Williams, VP of Healthcare Sales for RR Donnelley (RRD), during the pandemic people were not just “struggling with social distancing, but also medical distancing.”