Convergence of technology and science appears to define the blueprint of a digital health revolution in India. Keeping the patient at the centre, digital healthcare works on delivering right treatments in a timely manner that improves the quality of lives. Widespread adoption of digital technologies has opened up new pathways. New heath technologies such as wearable tech, for example, have empowered individuals to monitor their own health, while they seek healthcare information and intervention.

Artificial Intelligence (AI), for instance, makes it possible to create tools that can spot patterns across huge datasets, leading to a more predictive and better patient outcome. Digital interventions such as personalised diagnosis and AI-enabled personalised genome testing, genetic engineering, molecular medicine, cloud computing, 3D printing, Virtual reality (VR), Digital twins, robotics are some of the technology-driven breakthroughs that form a critical part of an integrated digital health ecosystem.

Back home, we continue to harness the power of digital in delivering value-based care across the healthcare continuum, enhancing overall patient experience, particularity in non-metros and the rural parts of India. The National Digital Health Mission (NDHM) rolled out in 2020 provides the blueprint for an integrated digital health infrastructure in the country by bridging the existing gap amongst different stakeholders of healthcare ecosystem through digital highways. Apart from making healthcare more cost-effective, these measures look to address the current challenges of healthcare infrastructure and services, thereby expanding healthcare access. Standardised formats, data protocols and electronic health records can further simplify access to health data across primary healthcare clinics, diagnostic centres or specialty hospitals, and deliver a seamless care experience for patients in both rural and urban India.

Telemedicine/teleconsulting has emerged as an effective digital alternative. While Teleconsultations in India started appearing in 1999, the Telemedicine Practicing Guidelines released in 2020 has given a fillip to telemedicine in India. eSanjeevani, the National Telemdicine Service has been effective in plugging the digital health divide that exists in urban and rural India As of October 2021, eSanjeevani, has clocked 1.4 crore consultations and is aimed at addressing the challenge of shortage of doctors and specialists at ground level, while reducing the burden on secondary and tertiary level hospitals.

Likewise Tele-ICU’s are proving to be a game changer. As reported, this technology model allows an intensivist to remotely manage ICU patients across multiple locations from a command centre, rather than at the patient’s bedside. In a country like ours with only 6.8 ICU beds for every 100,000 people and less than 5,000 intensivists, this is a promising digital intervention that can manage 60-80 patients, as against 10-12 patients. Another interesting and welcoming trend is that of digital health start-ups looking beyond just metros and providing digital health solutions to patients in the remote parts of the country.

Going forward, the value-based healthcare approach will rely heavily upon technology-enabled healthcare in addressing several unmet medical needs of people in both rural and urban India. Digital technology will reimagine the future of healthcare in India by improving patient behaviours, evolving better care models and advancing quality of care. Over a longer term, increased use of digital platforms and aggregated quality health data will open new opportunities for drug development.

A future-responsive digital healthcare ecosystem will pave the way for improved health outcomes for the citizens of our country

The author is Sanjiv Navangul, Managing Director & CEO, Bharat Serums and Vaccines Limited. The views expressed here are personal.