Functioning of Health Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic – Review of Literature

Abstract

Purpose: A review of the literature on reorganization of the health care system in selected medical specializations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach: A review and analysis of available scientific literature from ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, PubMed and other scientific sources, and data analysis using Microsoft Excel. Articles were found using specific keywords, then they were assessed in detail against the criteria set by the authors Findings: The COVID-19 pandemic caused many organizational changes in health care. As a result of activities limiting the spread of COVID-19 in medical facilities, the following were observed: increased use of telemedicine to contact medical staff, limited access to physicians of various specialties, delayed diagnosis and treatment in many fields of medicine and also increased financial investment in the health care. Additionally, the pandemic reduced social contacts. It is forecast that after the pandemic, there will be an increase in demand for medical consultations due to undiagnosed and untreated patients during the pandemic. Research limitations/implications: A lack of scientific study with long-term data, a survey on a small group of respondents, studies from countries with different degrees of development (a more difficult comparative analysis), discrepancy of data in some studies due to insufficient research on the new virus – SARS-CoV-2. Originality/value: The work collects data from various medical disciplines and presents the possible impact of reorganization on the post-pandemic situation. The article is original because of the combination of medical and management aspects of the health care organization during the pandemic.