Despite the slowdown in growth, there was an improvement in the global economy during 2019. Unfortunately, with the pandemic caused by the new coronavirus the economy is already starting to decline, which will possibly give rise to a repressed demand in the second half of 2020 when the situation normalizes.
In some cases, it may not seem so advantageous, but the repressed demand can mean an opportunity for growth for your company, but you must be prepared. When we talk about repressed demand, a specific demand from the population - or a specific audience - is not fully met. With covid-19 this could also become a reality in clinics and offices.
Because of the new coronavirus and the high rate of cases, people are avoiding leaving home, and therefore deselecting appointments and elective surgeries. It is necessary to be prepared so that when this situation normalizes, health professionals will be able to serve as many patients as possible without causing risks to the quality of care, which will possibly be doubled.
If today the attendance decreased due to the pandemic, it is estimated that its increase may reveal a population even more concerned with health, which may also be related to the term "expenses for revenge", something that in a way may boost the economy in the country. This situation happens after a pandemic, for example, when everything is back to normal, and citizens still have money that is no longer spent after weeks of canceled plans.
It is important to remember that due to the isolation many people are suffering from the impact on the economy, after all, many are out of work at the moment. Therefore, it is worth mentioning that on March 19, the MPF (Brazil's Federal Public Ministry) issued an official letter to the ANS (Brazilian National Health Agency) so that health plans adopt measures to guarantee the service to insured persons who are in default due to the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
According to the article we recently published on telemedicine and the current situation in Brazil is experiencing, health professionals must maintain this pace so that the attendance does not accumulate. Planning future appointments is also important, as it is an opportunity to recover calls that were not made during the pandemic.
It is up to health professionals to align what will be of the highest priority: quantity or quality. Increasing the number of hours in the first weeks may be an alternative to avoid congestion in clinics and offices, especially for those that tend to squeeze-in patients. Reconciling a large number of patients per day to high-quality and humanized care may seem like a difficult task, but with planning, we can manage to normalize not only the economy but also health in the country.