Digitalisation is the beginning of a new healthcare era

Digital healthcare is the beginning of a new age in healthcare that aims to provide patient-centered services and an enhanced experience, believes Jasdeep Singh, Group CEO, CARE Hospitals. He discusses technology in healthcare, telemedicine, and other healthcare systems. Excerpts

How has technology impacted healthcare business models? What are some new capabilities that healthcare practitioners have due to technology?

“Digital ecosystems have re-modelled today’s healthcare system to deliver better clinical outcomes for the patients”, says Jasdeep Singh.

There has been a rapid acceleration in digitalisation of healthcare services across India. This has led to a greater impact on the transformation of healthcare delivery in the form of personalised and integrated consumer experience, enhanced provider productivity, better care coordination, improved clinical outcomes and greater affordability.

With advances in new and emerging technologies; such as artificial intelligence (AI), virtual and augmented reality, health tracking apps, IoT wearable devices, E-ICU facility, drug development, robot-assisted surgery, 3D printing and more, the traditional healthcare model is all set to be completely revolutionised.

Digital healthcare is a beginning of the new healthcare era intending to provide patient-oriented healthcare services and enhanced experience. Hence, this is the perfect time for healthcare providers
and clinicians to embrace the change and stay relevant in the years to come.

What are some persistent need-gaps for telemedicine in the Indian context?

Telemedicine is also an important change necessitated by COVID-19. The steps taken by the government and innovative interventions by healthcare providers have played a pivotal role in the expansion of telemedicine services in India. Yet, certain gaps are still critical and need to be addressed.

The possibility of misinterpretation of information, scalability to tier two and three cities, maintaining data privacy and confidentiality, training of the team about information security and specific competencies must be addressed to run the telemedicine program successfully. Telemedicine cannot be the answer to all problems and surely won’t replace in-person consultation or emergency medicine.

However, this is the time for healthcare systems to capitalise on the existing expertise and technology-driven momentum to build mature digital ecosystems that can deliver world-leading and efficient care right here in India.

This article first appeared in print edition of the The Economic Times paper on 29th December 2022, within the Inspiring CEOs Pullout