Delhi: The growing burden of disease, spiraling costs and the demand for quality healthcare services have put enormous pressure on healthcare resources. As health service providers As they strive to drive operational efficiencies, improve service delivery, and improve health outcomes, technology is finding greater application across the value chain. Against this background, Grant Thornton Bharat and the Association of Health Care Providers (India) (AHPI) have sought to understand the perspectives of healthcare professionals and providers on leveraging technology in their report called ‘Technology Transformation for Future-Ready Healthcare’. The survey-based report showed that 84 percent of respondents plan to significantly increase the budget in digital solutions and technology initiatives in the next 12 months.
“India has successfully embraced the digital mindset in the last decade and has embraced digital payments and e-currency. Our survey reflects this sentiment as well, with more than 80 percent of respondents admitting they want to improve their IT and digital infrastructure spending budget to drive better healthcare outcomes, strong governance, operational excellence, and ensuring compliance. The government is also driving the adoption of healthcare technology through various schemes. As India moves forward with the universal health coverage agenda, technology will be a crucial lever in driving accessibility, availability and affordability,” said Bhanu Prakash Kalmath, Partner at Grant Thornton Bharat LLP.
According to the survey report, while planned technology spending is encouraging, cyber threats and data privacy concerns loom. The hospital database contains sensitive patient information, including medical diagnoses, treatment records, and insurance information. This is a huge area for improvement and focus as, according to the survey, 66 percent of healthcare professionals and leaders are not confident that their technology infrastructure is sufficient to prevent cyber threats. The integration of 5G into supply chains can transform this, help facilitate operations and lead to seamless adoption of technology-enabled clinical trial, device manufacturing and insurance-related services.
The government has been optimistic about the prospects for telemedicine and its free service: eSanjeevani – has witnessed success. also launched Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) with the vision of creating a common digital platform. Therefore, the report also addresses investing in telemedicine infrastructure to reach a broader population, drive efficiencies, improve the patient experience, and maximize revenue. Additionally, hospitals must enroll in ABDM to develop an integrated digital health infrastructure and close the gaps in the ecosystem. The report also addresses ABDM-related challenges, which need to be considered to expedite mission enrollment.
Key highlights from the report:
- 40 percent feel that their technology infrastructure can ensure the privacy of patient data
- 48% of respondents have seen an increase in operational efficiency of up to 20%
- 58 percent have not taken advantage of technology to monitor compliance.
- While 62 percent have implemented EMR, 54 percent of respondents do not have EMR integrated with their billing systems.
- More than 50 percent have highlighted technology implementation/integration and data privacy as the two key challenges for enrolling in ABDM
- Telemedicine revenue is less than 5% for 88% of respondents
