The pandemic is rapidly accelerating the use of technology in healthcare which is probably long overdue and is likely to have long lasting positive impacts for service users.  It may also result in substantive change for the sector over the next few years. Great to see here the Mayo Clinic and its partners in Jacksonville, USA using connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) to transport COVID-19 samples around its campus from testing facilities to a processing laboratory.

CAVs can provide a safe transportation environment for the potentially highly contagious samples as they operate without people on board and are rather closely monitored from a remote command facility.  The potential of CAVs for the healthcare sector is significant, sample transportation could be just the start.  Could we soon see CAVs regularly taking patients around hospital sites for example rather than using clinical staff?     

The Burges Salmon healthcare team is keeping a close eye on how technology is assisting in tackling the pandemic worldwide and what it may mean for the sector in the post COVID-19 world.