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(GIST OF KURUKSHETRA) Technology and Innovation in Healthcare

[November-2022]

Technology and Innovation in Healthcare

Context: Emergence of Digital Healthcare in India

Interoperability is the ability of systems to be able to communicate with each other and make use of the information obtained through each other without any restrictions. It is common in sectors like banking and finance and is independent of an individual's location. But, such is not the case within the healthcare sector. The Electronic Health Records (EHR) of people are not easily available or communicated within doctors, hospitals, pharmacies, etc. due to constraints like security, permission, cost, and platform to name a few. This results in the decline of good quality healthcare available to all.
Phones and other modes of communication are insufficient in providing doctors enough information to completely analyse their patient's condition so that the best treatment or advice could be provided to them. Also, the amount of healthcare-related data generated nowadays is humongous (big data). It is thus quite impossible to keep a track of every patient's medical record at all times. In India, a lack of awareness and healthcare for all citizens also adds on to the existing problem. All these ultimately raise the same question of ensuring platform of interoperability in the Indian
healthcare system.
The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) notified the EHR standards for India in September 2013. Revised EHR Standards for India were notified in December 2016. The review report by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) titled 'Adoption of Electronic Health Records: A Roadmap for India,' highlights that the country's government hospitals and dispensaries have very little ICT infrastructure, with only some major public hospitals having computers and connectivity.
To talk about competent healthcare systems, a very worthy example is of Israel. A country that has invested effectively in its healthcare system which has been paperless for the last 20 years. Although, the EHR systems of different hospitals are not the same, they are still very well connected.

Scope of Remote Healthcare in India:

One of the main barriers to patient care is medical prescription and delivery, and this can also be done remotely. Medicine 'ATMs’, already in use in rural areas of South Africa, ensure that patients obtain their medication in a medically safe way, without relying on inaccessible pharmacists, doctors, or other professionals. In the future, these 'ATMs' can effectively scale their capabilities to
become an information kiosk and patient portal that can support diagnosis, testing, and medication prescription, thereby removing pressure on hospitals and community health. One of the significant challenges faced by the rural communities is the lack of healthcare expertise.
It is difficult for communities to access specialized training, it is challenging to attract trained medical staff, and once they are there, their retention is unachievable. One of the most proven ways to solve these problems is to bring specialised training to the existing health professionals.
Virtual reality can be used in rural areas to assist healthcare professionals with training and experience through training simulations with a headset that places you in a natural healthcare environment. For example, training in an emergency department (ED) can be very stressful for patients and medical staff, where there is significant time pressure and patients' lives are at risk. With virtual reality, many scenarios can be played out that allow a person living in a rural area to get hands-on experience without actually being in the emergency room (ER), increasing pressure on staff and putting patients at risk. Virtual or tele mentoring groups with other communities and experts will ensure that training and support are continuous and ongoing.

The Rise of Remote Healthcare

Another area in which technology plays a vital role is remote care. Due to severe shortages of intensive care staff in hospitals during the pandemic, many providers have built remote or smart ICUs. This facility allowed them to serve more patients simultaneously. Small towns and rural areas still lack such facilities, but this technology holds the answer to bridge this existing gap during future health crises.
The Internet of Medical Things (loMT) is changing the nation's healthcare system for the better. loMT is the collection of medical devices and applications that connect to healthcare IT systems through online computer networks. loMT devices that are Bluetooth enabled can transmit all essential clinical data to the consulting physician in real-time. This setup closely mimics face-to-face consultation and helps the treating physician make appropriate clinical decisions down the line of treatment. Al and predictive analytics support many of these loMT tools that help predict a patient's likely future condition based on longitudinal (periodic) data. These tools are helpful in preventive medicine and wellness, especially in providing healthcare in neglected areas.

Remote Healthcare for Rural India

In small towns and villages, virtual consultations alone are not enough. These should be complemented by physical/OPD counselling so patients can develop more confidence in the care provided. This physical model also facilitates post-operative care and second opinions for patients in smaller cities, thus eliminating the need to travel to larger metropolises for treatment, saving them time, money, and lost productivity. Remote care also protects them from any hospital-acquired infections.
Most Primary Health Centers (PHCs) and Community Health Centers (CHCs) in rural areas lack the necessary equipment and diagnostic expertise needed by the growing population. Technology can bridge this gap. Innovative start-ups across the nation are providing healthcare services enabled with the latest and most efficient technologies. Many of these start-ups and companies are being supported by the government itself. The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), housed in the NITI Aayog, has been set up by the Government of India to promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in the country.
Under one of its many initiatives, AIM supports the establishment of new incubation centres called Atal Incubation Centres (AIC). AIC LMCP Foundation, Gujarat is one such AIC that has incubated a start-up named Rises Analytics Solutions. Rises is working on high-tech healthcare Al solutions at scale. It has the vision to bridge the gap between patients and timely medical intervention and to extend diagnostic decision support to healthcare professionals in order to serve patients with efficacy, accuracy, and insights, with innovative technology TRAP (Treatment Response Assessment and Predictions).

Conclusion:

Teleconsultation, e-pharmacy, and remote monitoring have gained the trust of all stakeholders. The private sector's contribution will help meet the goals of universal health coverage and ensure India's progress towards a USD 5 trillion economy with a healthy population. The country still has a long path to dwell on, for bringing its rural areas at par with the urban and also with global standards. With the embracement of state-of-the-art tele health technologies, development of enterprise-wide portfolios, and the commitment to data transparency, benefits shall reach the last rung of the ladder. This is bound to consolidate the rural economy into a sustainable model which is an absolute necessity for the development of the nation. What is expected is a more secure, interoperable healthcare system with the goal of accomplishing better healthcare for Indian citizens, empowering both the urban and rural landscape in the coming years.