Those not into digital health will cease to exist before the end of the decade

The healthcare industry has been a laggard in digital adoption, what are you so confident of digital transformation now?

You are correct that healthcare unlike other sectors has been the last to transform but now, it is amongst the first ones to see a massive disruption and a complete one. 

The democratisation of medical knowledge: There are a couple of reasons; one is that patients have benefited from the democratisation of knowledge through the internet. So, now, knowledge about the treatment is no longer the exclusive domain of doctors. Also, technology has removed the barriers to access even in the remotest villages, and patients can connect with other patients on the ‘International Patients Union mobile app’ and figure out the basics. They are informed patients of the digital age.

Lack of trust will boost usage of technology: Healthcare has become a fleecing business, and I am sad to say this, but the trust has eroded and to find ways around it, patients are increasingly relying on technology to decide their provider and even the line of treatment. Also, a major issue with healthcare is the lack of transparency and only, digital adoption can ensure transparency and accountability, both. 

COVID-19 was a major force to have demystified that technology is not a solution to healthcare problems, but seems like technology is a major enabler to solve all challenges in healthcare. 

Artificial intelligence is a major disruption in terms of diagnosis and treatment, so doctors are even relying on the same for treating patients. 

The technologies like DTx, SaMD, Digital Twins and gaming are disrupting the way we deal with chronic patients, and leading to better management of chronic diseases. You see so many companies claiming to reverse diabetes using technology, conventional treatment regimens cannot work alone, they need technology.

People have used technology in other sectors, the same user when becomes a patient, expects a technology-based solution. So, the time is ripe for tech adoption across healthcare. 

Finally, the government has made huge strides through ABDM, and we are now moving fast forward to technology adoption. I think, that by 2025, every healthcare provider will use technology in some form or the other. 

What are the barriers to adoption of technology?

The biggest barrier to adoption is a closed mindset. We are still thinking that healthcare will continue to be doctor-dependent. But trust me, doctors who use technology will replace doctors who don’t. Now, I have changed my diabetologist to one that uses technology as I need to consult based on my condition no matter whether I am in Delhi or Mumbai or abroad – that is my basic ask. Also, my DTx allows me to calibrate my dose and CGM is an excellent help. Why would I go to a doctor who just depends on a prescription of pills? The conventional ways of treating a patient are over. So, people have to change their mindset and move from the past into the future to secure their present. 

The second major barrier is the lack of awareness. Recently I addressed 2500 pharmacists and I asked them how many of them knew DTx. Only one hand went up. This is when two Indian companies have already got approval from DCGI on DTx. The same is the situation with doctors,  most of the endocrinologists and Cardiologists I speak to don’t know about Digital Twins and SaaD / SaMD. More patients now know about these technology-based treatments than the doctors in India!  So, awareness is the key, which is missing. 

Doctors and hospitals fear that they will lose their revenue due to digital health, but on the contrary, it is proven that hospitals increase revenue and patients with digital health,  and the doctors who use technology are liked by their patients and they can deliver more with less using digital health. 

A Digital Health Ecosystem approach is missing, tech-enabled healthcare is a new field that has taken global healthcare by storm. So, while the industry is developing great technology solutions, but we are not training people and providing a support ecosystem to boost adoption. I am trying to do it through the Academy of Digital Health Sciences, the Health Parliament and the Global Digital Health Summit, but a lot more needs to be done. 

Doctors in India are not aware of the massive program of the government and the steps the government is taking to push for digital adoption. 

Most people in healthcare have a wrong notion that telemedicine and AI are everything when it comes to digital health but this is just a small subset of digital health, and so, people need to be formally trained in digital health to leverage the full potential of digital health. 

How will the Global Digital Health Summit help the cause of digital health? 

We are flying in the global leaders and leaders from India who have developed and shaped the domain of digital health to discuss and demonstrate the impact of digital health on the future of medicine and surgery, MedTech and pharma and discuss the latest developments in the field of medicine, and how the digital age patient would like to be treated. This summit this year will change the way we understand and deliver healthcare. It will fast-track digital adoption. 

What is your message to the healthcare industry?

By 2026, 

• Doctors will move beyond the stethoscope
• Hospitals will move beyond the beds
• Pharmaceuticals will move beyond selling pills to therapy
• MedTech will move beyond hardware to software
• Patients will move from episodic care to pre-emptive and holistic care
• Treatment will move from generalised to personalised and precision medicine
• Payers will move from cost to value
• Healthcare delivery will move from four walls to five fingers
• Finally, we will move from healthcare to health

If you have not already started your Digital Health journey, you are too late. Technology will not wait for you, so better move fast, learn and adopt technology.