Opinion | Five years post-COVID: Did we learn our lesson or fall back into old habits?

In early 2020, the world was shaken by the COVID-19 pandemic. What began as a health crisis quickly evolved into profound changes in society and healthcare. Five years on, Bas Leerink and Anne Arntz of IG&H reflect on the lessons we've learned—and the opportunities we've missed.

Lasting changes

1. Accelerated Digital Transformation

   During the pandemic, many healthcare interactions were digitized out of necessity. E-consultations, video calls and digital collaboration between healthcare professionals have since become integral to daily practice. At ETZ, for example, 25% of all appointments are now digital. At Bravis Hospital, 28.5% of all follow-up consultations take place online. This reduces unnecessary travel for patients, saves time for care providers, and contributes to more sustainable healthcare by minimizing travel. Digital working has also become more widespread in general: meetings and the development of regional care plans have become more efficient thanks to digital collaboration tools.

   
   

2. Greater Recognition for Healthcare Workers

   As the pandemic hit, healthcare systems quickly reached their limits, and providers were stretched to the brink. The indispensable role of nurses became more visible than ever. This led to greater appreciation for healthcare workers and has strengthened the role of nurses: In many hospitals, nursing advisory boards now have a voice in executive decisions. According to V&VN, 22% of nurses report having more influence within their organizations.

3. Momentum for Value-based care

The pandemic made it clear that healthcare cannot always be taken for granted. This gave a major boost to the principles of value-based care. Concepts such as proactive care planning—where patients and providers jointly plan care decisions—are increasingly being embedded into daily practice. Shared decision-making is now a standard part of care delivery, putting patients’ preferences and values at the forefront. The focus on "positive health"—emphasizing well-being rather than just treating illness—has also gained traction. In the wake of the pandemic, the "appropriate catch-up care" framework was established to ensure that only truly necessary care was prioritized, helping to reduce wait times without causing additional harm. This way of working proved itself during the crisis and continues to be used to help maintain healthcare accessibility.

Reversed Gains

Unfortunately, not all improvements made during the pandemic have endured. Specific key shifts have largely receded:

4. As urgency fades, bureaucracy creeps back in

During the height of the pandemic, the healthcare sector demonstrated extraordinary capabilities under pressure: data was shared across institutions, regional collaboration became second nature, and decision-making happened at record speed. Innovations that once seemed impossible became reality—like the national ICU dashboard and rapid capacity expansions. These advances were made possible by centralized coordination, a shared sense of urgency, and the temporary suspension of normal procedures. Now, many of those crisis measures have been scaled back, and much of the momentum has faded. While the will to collaborate remains (as formalized in the Integral Care Agreement), innovations are once again being hampered by slow negotiations, complex procedures, siloed interests, and fragmented funding structures. The healthcare system is inherently complex, with dispersed responsibilities and financial incentives that don’t naturally reward collaboration. As a result, the agility seen in times of crisis is hard to sustain under normal conditions. The challenge is not just to avoid regression—but to embed the lessons of the crisis into legislation, funding and governance, so that we don’t need another emergency to move forward.

5. Erosion of pandemic preparedness

During the pandemic, a strong infrastructure was built to respond quickly to future health emergencies. Think of task forces, stockpiles of protective equipment, and crisis teams that could act fast. Today, however, that infrastructure is being dismantled—with €300 million in planned cuts to pandemic preparedness. Experts warn that our current state of readiness is already worse than it was before COVID. There’s little structural focus on crisis preparation, and no clear roadmap for tackling the next pandemic. If we fall back into pre-pandemic routines, the healthcare system risks being blindsided again by a future crisis—despite all we’ve experienced in what was one of the most transformative events in modern healthcare history.

Lessons for the Future

The COVID-19 pandemic proved that the healthcare sector can act swiftly and innovatively when needed. The question now is how we can build on the positive legacies—and avoid losing hard-earned progress. Sustaining digital transformation, strengthening the role of nurses, and continuing the shift toward value-based care offer real opportunities for long-term improvement. At the same time, we must break down institutional silos, think in terms of solutions and reinvest in pandemic readiness. Only by doing so can we make our healthcare system resilient and truly future-proof.