by srinath rao
Health care Organizations, especially in India, have traditionally been late in adopting digital technologies compared to other industries such as retail or banking. However, the healthcare sector has seen a dramatic increase in technology investments in recent years.
Healthcare CIOs globally cite the following areas that have been driving their technology investments: 1. Increased demand for better reach and patient care and personalization, 2. High cost of healthcare now warranting optimization and automation through the use of technology, and 3. Protection of patient data from cyber threats.
In addition to these areas, the most recent push for technology adoption has also come from the COVID-19 pandemic. Take telehealth as an example. Most hospitals had limited virtual care capabilities before 2020. Even in India, after COVID-19, 80% of doctors in the north, 50% in the south and west, and 35% in eastern India they have adopted some form of telemedicine, according to reports.
Healthcare organizations in India will benefit significantly from the adoption of digital technologies and here are some examples of how:
a big challenge and The opportunity within the healthcare ecosystem is the abundant, complex and dynamic nature of data, including patient data, diagnoses, prescriptions, inquiries and financial data. The use of technology to integrate these data sets will help to gain intelligent insights that will have a dramatic impact on several dimensions of healthcare delivery, including cost, outcome, efficiency, patent and physician experience, quality of attention and time to market. In the context of the Indian healthcare ecosystem, we can gain a lot by harnessing the power of data and analytics effectively.
Given the size of our population, the possibilities for our ability to tap into and gain insights from vast amounts of data sets are endless.
- These insights can help better control outbreaks of communicable diseases such as dengue and chikungunya.
- Support the development of personalized treatment plans for specific diseases that are based on an individual’s lifestyle, health history, and genetic makeup.
- Assist in fraud detection, especially in claims and payments.
- Help optimize the healthcare supply chain – lower cost and more efficient delivery of drugs, medical devices and equipment
- Real-time alerts using a clinical decision support system to analyze medical data on the spot, avoiding costly treatments
- Internet of medical things:
Internet of Things (IoMT), when applied to healthcare, can improve the speed of care and save human lives. Remote patient monitoring devices can be used to measure blood pressure or oxygen saturation levels from patients’ homes to hospitals. Wearable devices, including smart watches outside the home; and sensors to track the movements of the patient and staff within the hospital are other ways.
An Indian hospital has already started to implement a whole smart ecosystem. An advanced Hospital Information Management System (HIMS), facilities for digital prescription as well as smart cards, a internet of things the solution for 30 major health tests and the optimization of the complete supply chain of pharmaceutical products using a smart pharmacy are some of the initiatives that are being carried out.
The digital front door leverages technology to simplify and improve the patient experience at every touch point in their interaction with the healthcare system. Self-scheduling capabilities, mobile-enabled pre-registration as well as doctor visit logging, mobile or web payments, and automated appointment or medication reminders are a few examples. This will improve patient access and productivity and enhance the patient experience. Many medical offices have begun using digital platforms for appointment tracking and management, patient engagement, and ease of use. This is also helping to reduce paperwork and improve the overall efficiency of the medical consultation process. By helping to improve the flow of diagnostic information, it involves replacing X-ray films or even CT films with computer-generated images. These are available for analysis in less than a minute after being taken and can be shared across multiple locations simultaneously. Remote access makes diagnosis possible without the physical presence of radiologists. Also, electronic images cannot be lost or misplaced.
Some examples of the work companies are doing in this space include the use of deep learning for diabetic retinopathy detection, where AI-powered algorithms review images and diagnose. Another emerging use case is the use of machine learning to determine aggressive states of tumors and identify risk markers for future recurrence.
Health care organizations handle protected health information, personally identifiable information, and financial information, such as credit card and bank account numbers. This exposes them to vulnerabilities and threats from cybercriminals. Reports have shown that India is vulnerable to healthcare-related cyberattacks, having faced 1.9 million such attacks last year as of November 22. Investments are being made to implement biometrics, digital forensics, penetration testing in hospitals and health systems.
Cybersecurity is a serious concern and will require a holistic approach with highly coordinated efforts among insurers, healthcare providers, and other institutions, and many investments in new technologies and practices. Few measures that could be borrowed from the financial industry include multi-factor authentication, identity access management, network security, and security training.
The government is also showing the way to revolutionize and digitally enable healthcare in India. The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) is a step in the right direction to create a digital backbone for the Indian Healthcare Ecosystem, a crucial step in creating patient and professional registries. In addition, the ABDM Sandbox encourages the integration of existing systems and healthcare IT platforms with the building blocks of ABDM to promote innovation, efficiencies, and improve patient lives. The NHA’s proposed United Health Interface envisions an efficient digital framework for patients and healthcare providers in the country. All of this is pushing the needle toward universal, affordable health care.
The boost provided by the government with technological advances has resulted in more than 7,800 HealthTech startups in India. However, this is only the beginning. Healthcare innovations will help the medical fraternity deliver better care and could even overcome accessibility barriers for patients in remote locations. Several factors need to work together for India to become a global healthcare giant, and this requires immense efforts and collaboration from all the stakeholders involved.
Srinath Rao, Sr. Vice President and Technology Leader, CitiusTech
(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.)
