Digital Transformation in Healthcare

Digital Transformation in Healthcare received a much needed booster shot when Medical Council of India in partnership with NITI Aayog released Telemedicine Practice Guidelines on 25th March 2020. This opened up video, audio and text based doctor consultations by registered medical practitioner (RMP) for patients. Geographic limitations of doctor availability were immediately addressed and the legality of online practice solved. Soon we saw plethora of online apps and websites offering host of services to cater patients offline and online. It saved thousands of lives during pandemic of Covid-19.

Multi-specialty hospitals, diagnostic centers and primary health clinics have accelerated the process of digitizing health data and offering telehealth services. This helps in accessing digital prescriptions, diagnosis and lab reports. Early access to relevant online information also helps healthcare systems cater to emergency patients at a much faster pace.

Healthcare aggregators like Practo, Lybrate are using digital platforms to empower users to choose their healthcare provider. They help in providing affordable options by comparison but they should remain cognizant of the quality of services.

Wearable health technology has seen tremendous growth and its synchronization with smartphones have educated users for better healthy lifestyle. These gadgets are collecting data points of various physical activities and maintain ones health profile. We will see more integration of these electronic equipments with mainstream health providers in future.

AI in healthcare is making inroads in all the above entities. Technology firms like Google, Apple, and Amazon are making breakthrough progress with the help of data and machine learning algorithms. Conversational technology will help in harnessing the power of integrated healthcare with user friendly approaches. It will make healthcare in future more effective and help in next-generation patient engagement. Overall wellness of people will greatly improve with continued effort and investment of technology and healthcare firms in IT.