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The author is the Managing Director & General Manager, AbbVie India.
In pre-pandemic times, technology transformed the way people managed their money, travelled, and shopped. However, it did not make as big a dent in the healthcare industry until Covid-19 hit.
As the pandemic spread across the country, access to healthcare for patients got transformed from waiting at a doctor’s clinic to consulting virtually from the comfort of their homes. Patients have adapted to telemedicine and artificial intelligence (AI)-based technology like chatbots and virtual wellbeing assistants as the pandemic accelerated the acceptance of such technologies. Digital transformation has now permeated every aspect of healthcare. Millions of people around the world are now benefiting from the marvels of technology-driven healthcare solutions.
Today, there is no need for multiple visits to the doctor to monitor your heart rate and blood oxygen saturation. Access to real-time and home-based health data has become a common scenario with the arrival of smart device-based heart and blood oxygen monitoring systems. According to a recent study, the volume of the digital health market surpassed USD 141.8 billion in 2020 and is projected to expand by around 17.4% between 2021 and 2027. In India, the digital health market is expected to exhibit an annual growth rate (CAGR 2022-2026) of 24.6%, followed by a predicted market volume of US$21.38bn by 2026.
Digital health: A leap towards future
Digital transformation can enhance every aspect of patient care, improve overall efficiency, save time for both patients and doctors, and improve the productivity of healthcare staff. Moreover, digital health also empowers consumers to make well-informed decisions. In a recent survey by Deloitte on health system providers, 92% of respondents stated that the top desired outcome of digital transformation was an improved patient experience.
In recent years, we have witnessed the collective technological power of the internet, data science, connected devices, and AI, which resulted in improving quality and productivity in the healthcare and pharma sectors. Skilled manpower in AI, machine learning (ML), cloud computing, and robotic process automation (RPA) have helped in expediting drug development and diagnostic testing. India’s strength rests in its vast market size and prospects for R&D, medical tourism, and public health systems. However, there awaits an ample opportunity to be tapped via people-independent data accumulation and analysis, and treatment delivery systems with numerous investment avenues. Video consultations and telehealth services in both urban and rural communities can deliver primary as well as tailored consultation facilities directly to an individual. Public-private partnerships can facilitate the improvement of medical services through digital modules and provide comprehensive patient care regardless of geographic setting.
Joining forces to sustain the digital transformation
The biggest driver of digital health in our country has been government-based initiatives. For example, India’s National Telemedicine Service (eSanjeevani) was launched during the pandemic to facilitate remote health services for patients. The portal has completed a record number of 10 million teleconsultations as of August 2021. These services are a positive step towards increasing the uptake of digital health, but the mandate of equitable healthcare solutions remains.
Though digitisation has made healthcare more accessible, a majority of the Indian population continues to struggle with chronic diseases that have not been detected on time and need constant monitoring. Hence, a comprehensive digital system is required to bridge these treatment gaps, ultimately enhancing patient lives, and streamlining the healthcare delivery system. Integrating the real-world evidence gathered by such a common digital system with a disease registry can help anticipate the disease burden while improving the holistic management of the current population. By improving network connections across the country and creating a collaborative environment between community hubs, NGOs, and state governments to increase digital awareness, we will be able to create an inclusive digital healthcare ecosystem.
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Views expressed above are the author's own.
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