From crisis to change: lessons learned and future trends in healthcare and public health

Purpose The COVID-19 pandemic significantly reshaped the healthcare landscape, revealing both systemic strengths and weaknesses. This article examines a long-term study of the pandemic’s impacts on healthcare systems and integrated care processes, highlighting both negative results – such as increased burnout and persistent systemic flaws – and positive outcomes, such as improved patient care models, enhanced collaboration and increased technological integration. Design/methodology/approach The study employed elements of the ethnographic approach, combining various qualitative methods with a literature review and data analysis. Findings The findings reveal a mixed legacy: while the pandemic accelerated innovation and exposed systemic flaws, it also exacerbated mental health issues among healthcare workers. Research limitations/implications The main limitation is study’s focus on the Polish healthcare system, which may introduce biases and limit the generalizability of findings to other regions with different backgrounds, infrastructures and pandemic responses. Practical implications Addressing these issues will be crucial for developing robust healthcare policies and improving overall healthcare delivery and integrated care processes. Social implications The study provides practical implications for policymakers, healthcare providers and the workforce, emphasizing the need for structural resilience, effective resource management and ongoing professional development to sustain and enhance healthcare systems globally. Originality/value The study’s originality arises from its methodological approach, combining interviews with healthcare professionals and a narrative review to provide a long-term analysis of both positive and negative outcomes from the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly focusing on the Polish healthcare system while also generalizing insights that could be relevant globally.