Months into the pandemic and we are continuing to adapt to a new normal. Not only are we keeping our distance from friends and co-workers, but the way we conduct almost every daily activity has been impacted.

Despite the economic impact created by mass quarantining, many digital companies have flourished during this time as the vast majority of consumers started to make use of contactless, online services to meet their needs. Meanwhile, brick-and-mortar establishments, such as restaurants and entertainment ventures, pivoted their business models and upscaled their online capabilities.

On the one hand, the crisis encouraged old-school health practitioners and doctors to embrace existing technologies, such as sign-in kiosks at clinic entrances. On the other hand, more progressive institutions and alternative health practitioners are opting for new and radical digital innovations.

Going Virtual

One of the most obvious examples of the digital shift taking place is the exploding use of videoconferencing technology to provide telehealth services. An April survey of physicians reported that at least 48% are now using telehealth techniques, compared to only 18% in 2019. Currently, health care insurance organizations (both governmental and private), are making changes to better incorporate telehealth into their reimbursement plans. However across the board there’s a rising tide of technological advancement that will benefit many for years to come. Dr. Stephen Cabral, a Board Certified Doctor of Naturopathy, was seemingly ahead of the curve all along.

In an interview with 180 Nutrition, Dr. Cabral elaborated on his private practice: “….I work out of my private office here in Boston, MA. But EquiLife is actually an approximate 90% virtual practice right now. So we are pioneering and pushing forward the ability to get people access to functional medicine lab testing right at home. At Equi.Life, we ship to over 19 countries and the goal is to empower people to understand the toxicities and deficiencies that are affecting their overall health. Once we can identify the underlying root causes of somebody’s health issues, we can work in a very systematic and integrative way to rebalance their bodies and restore optimal health. I’ve made that my mission in life.“

Rethinking Everything

Following the lead of other industries, more health care organizations are employing content-rich websites, digital apps, chatbots, self-help tools and virtual agents to provide information, deliver test results and check in on clients. This affords health care workers to focus more time on critical patient care.

Zeroing in on patient care, Dr. Cabral notes that it wasn’t until he met an “alternative” health doctor that the trajectory of his life would change. Just like the medical industry had to rethink service delivery to patients, Stephen Cabral had to rethink health and wellness after going through severe health complications at the age of 17. He saw more than 50 different doctors and tried every treatment protocol, yet saw no hope of recovery. Consulting with an alternative health doctor, Dr. Cabral would finally understand how his health got to that low point. He also understood how he would get well again and shared his knowledge in his #1 International best-selling book The Rain Barrel Effect, which you can now get for free at StephenCabral.com/freebook

More Work To Be Done

While the healthcare sector’s adoption of technological advancements are encouraging, many of them could be compared to putting Band-Aids on serious wounds. To adopt these technologies as more than a temporary solution, providers will need to integrate these technologies into their ongoing operations seamlessly.

Ben Carson once said: “Knowledge is the key that unlocks all doors.” In a similar vein knowledge, or the lack thereof, could play a crucial role in our overall health and wellness.

For this reason, Dr. Cabral’s Integrative Health Practitioner Institute grants lifetime access to this in-depth curriculum. Dr. Cabral shares the exact, clinically proven, wellness, weight loss and anti-aging protocols he has used in his Integrative Health Practice that has helped hundreds of thousands of people to rebalance their bodies and achieve their wellness goals. He now offers that knowledge with those interested in becoming Board Certified Health Coaches through his IHP Institute.

A Better Future

As a society, we may still be a ways off from realizing technology’s full potential to improve the health care system as a whole. Troubled times have a unique way of bringing people together and often can serve as a catalyst of change. As the pandemic continues to reshape the normal, it is expected that the organizations that will flourish will be the ones that accept the digital shift and run with it.