By Dr. Alexander Kuruvilla
The healthcare industry has witnessed remarkable progress in the delivery of quality patient care and security in the last decades. The COVID-19 pandemic has catalyzed the industry to push the boundaries of innovation and reinvent provision of health care.
health technologyhe health convergence and technologyhas been one of the most transformative results of this paradigm shift, enabling greater efficiency, accessibility, and affordability of health care services.
However, health technology it’s just beginning to scratch the surface of its potential.
So here are five main problems that healthcare technology can successfully solve and improve efficiency in today’s system:
1. Managing the burden of disease in India
According to the World Health Organization, India accounts for about 80 percent of deaths from chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, etc. Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) account for 60 percent of all deaths in India and are responsible for a significant loss of productivity and economic development. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in India, followed by diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases.
However, with the help of healthcare technology, this problem can be better managed. Health technology can help in the early detection, prevention and management of chronic diseases through portable devices technologytelemedicine and platforms based on artificial intelligence.
While wearable technology such as fitness trackers and smartwatches can track vital signs (heart rate and blood pressure) and provide valuable information about an individual’s health, telemedicine has shown its merit by allowing patients see doctors remotely and at odd hours, making healthcare accessible and affordable.
Additionally, AI-based platforms can analyze large volumes of data to identify patterns and predict health risks, enabling personalized and proactive healthcare.
2. Addressing the doctor-patient relationship in India
India has a severe shortage of doctors, with just one doctor for every 1,457 people, according to the 2019 National Health Profile. According to the World Health Organization, India has a shortage of around 8 lakh doctors. This shortage is exacerbated by the lack of distribution of health professionals, with a large proportion of them concentrated solely in urban areas.
Health technology can address this problem by providing access to health care services remotely through telemedicine, digital consultations, mobile health (mHealth) and chatbots. Additionally, artificial intelligence and machine learning can be used to improve the diagnostic capabilities of non-specialized health workers, allowing them to provide higher quality care with fewer resources.
3. Prevention of Medical Malpractice:
Medical malpractice is quite a prevalent problem in India, leading to various adverse outcomes for patients. Health technology can help prevent medical malpractice by improving communication and coordination between health care providers and patients.
- Electronic Health Records (EHRs)): EHRs can help prevent medical malpractice by providing physicians and health care providers with real-time access to a patient’s accurate and up-to-date medical history, including previous diagnoses, medications, and test results. This will reduce the likelihood of misdiagnosis or medication errors, such as prescribing contraindicated drugs or missing important health conditions.
- Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSS): CDSS uses algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze patient data and provide physicians with evidence-based treatment recommendations. This can help prevent medical malpractice by reducing the likelihood of misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment.
- Remote monitoring: Telemedicine and technologies that enable remote monitoring, such as wearable devices, can be used to monitor patients with chronic conditions and alert healthcare providers of potential complications. This can help prevent medical malpractice by ensuring that patients receive timely and appropriate care.
- Medication management: Technologies such as barcode scanning and automated dispensing systems can help prevent medication errors by ensuring that patients receive the correct medication at the correct dose.
- Audit and feedback systems: This helps track and evaluate the performance of healthcare providers while highlighting areas for improvement. Such technology can help prevent medical malpractice by identifying and addressing patterns of suboptimal care.
4. Safe
By enabling data analysis, risk assessment, remote monitoring and fraud detection, healthcare technology has the potential to revolutionize the insurance industry. The introduction of new technologies will help insurance providers to improve their services, reduce costs and provide more personalized coverage for their clients.
For example, insurers can encourage patients to use telemedicine to provide virtual consultations or use wearable devices to monitor clients’ health and reward clients for healthy behaviors. And using predictive analytics to analyze data about customers’ health and lifestyle habits, allowing them to identify potential health risks and adjust premiums accordingly, is also a huge advantage to take advantage of. With the help of artificial intelligence, insurers can also automate claims processing, which will reduce errors and increase efficiency.
The fact is that healthcare technology will have a significant impact on the insurance industry, and insurers that can embrace these new technologies and adapt to the changing landscape will be well positioned to provide better coverage options and improve the overall customer experience.
5. Supply chain management:
This includes inventory management, logistics, and distribution of drugs and medical equipment. Healthcare technology can improve supply chain management by enabling real-time tracking of medical supplies, reducing waste, and ensuring that medical supplies are available when needed.
At the end of the day, the health of a nation depends on its citizens’ cumulative access to quality healthcare, and healthcare technology is solving that. From chronic disease management to addressing the doctor-patient relationship, preventing medical malpractice, improving insurance and supply chain management, healthcare technology can deliver efficient, accessible and affordable healthcare services. As technology continues to evolve, healthcare technology will undoubtedly continue to play an essential role in the future of healthcare.
Dr. Alexander Kuruvilla, Chief Strategy Officer, dish
(DISCLAIMER: The views expressed are solely those of the author and are not necessarily endorsed by ETHealthworld. ETHealthworld.com shall not be liable for any damage caused to any person or organization directly or indirectly.)
