Rohan MathawanWith the launch of the Ayushman Bharat program in India, by the Narendra Modi government in 2018, the Indian Healthcare industry has seen phenomenal growth. Due to the contribution of various factors, the industry is expected to reach a value of 372 billion dollars in 2022 which shows a high CAGR and a high boost in the number of doctors in the industry.
Along with support from the Government, the Indian healthcare industry has finally jumped on the wagon of technologically growth and innovation, which has helped to solve many hindrances that slowed down the process of development for the industry.
Many concerns like a low doctor-to-patient ratio, lack of an on-time redressal system and database, infrastructure constraints and time barriers have pushed the sector to almost double its investment in the IT world.
Think about it, many hospitals now have a digital system of operations, accessible iPads to record customer’s medical records and the use of telemedicine in rural areas, all a part of the technological revolution.
Curious about the technology that is boosting healthcare in India?
1) Reality in Virtuality
The increasing use of smartphones and the world wide web has pushed the healthcare industry to use these modern-day tools to bring doctors and patients closer. Various online portals now exist where patients can directly consult doctors via a phone call or even messengers.
Moreover, ordering medicines online is filled with discounts and convenient delivery. For example, organizations like Apollo use their Telemedicine network to share everything from reports to graphics and have better healthcare facilities reach rural areas. The advantage here is, it takes lower capital investment (setting up an entire hospital or buying new machinery) and effectively uses available facilities like satellite networks and the internet.
2) Wiring in the Electronic
With digital technology expanding and trickling down to different industries, the healthcare industry has started using it for databasing. Each hospital can have its own centralized system of online records, accessible by any doctor on duty from anywhere in the hospital.
Secondly, initiatives like eHealth, ePharmacy, and eReferrals are launched to bring in more users under the hood of electronic healthcare solutions. With the advent of ordering medicines online, healthcare has now become even more accessible and easy. A central system for patients exists for long-term use, maintaining the entire medical history of a patient without repeated registration procedures, with a sole identification number and self-help groundwork.
3) Entering the Clouds
The advantage of having online storage and going paperless lies in the usability of the data. This is achieved by the cloud feature of the healthcare industry. Both public and private enterprises are opting to tie-up with cloud service providers and giving access to respective patients and doctors.
This way, even if a doctor is travelling and their patient gets urgently admitted, he can monitor the case without being physically present. Many big brands like Microsoft, Google and Amazon provide cloud services and are opting to bring more healthcare brands under their umbrella.
4) Shaking hands with Analytics
Algorithms, Big Data, and Artificial intelligence are shaking the world right from its roots, mostly for the better. The healthcare industry has many startups working to combine Big data with existing doctors, allowing them to be more accurate in diagnosis, eliminating any possibility of human error. Not only is this used to find out the problem faster, but it is also being targeted as a way to find a cure to diseases like Cancer and AIDS.
Hoping for a brighter future and a healthier India!
The change that technology is bringing in the medical industry revolves more around being time effective, accessibility and innovation. IT technology has been growing at a faster-than-expected pace and instilling it in the healthcare industry vigorously.
With India’s competitive advantage increasing, improvements in the mortality rates and higher government spending, bringing in new technology in the future will become easier than ever before. The Indian healthcare industry is effectively understanding how to merge the use of IoT and AI, in a way that it complements the increased level of care and ability to sustain the entire industry. Less biasedness, more effectiveness, that is the mantra that will push the industry forward!