Ankur Goel, Managing Director, Poly India & SAARC highlights the role of technology in scaling up efficient healthcare services in rural India
Indian citizens face a massive gap when it comes to access to healthcare services. According to industry reports, our country’s doctor to population ratio remains at 1 is to 1,445, much lower below the World Health Organization’s recommended norm of 1 is to 1,0001
This challenge is more so in rural India as most doctors practice in urban cities, thus creating a significant gap in access to quality healthcare for all citizens. As a result, the larger population of 700 million Indians who live in villages, small cities, and towns do not get adequate access to equivalent health care services.
To bridge the urban-rural divide in India’s healthcare industry, government and healthcare providers are looking for ways to expand their services, driven by the pandemic. Technology is being utilised to enable equality of healthcare access to all citizens. Especially in a COVID-19 world, when limiting contact and exposure to potential infections is a primary concern, technology, especially superior video and audio, can be the game-changer. It protects both patients and healthcare workers by limiting the risk of transmissions.
Video and audio: The game changer
Telehealth services can act as a saviour for the healthcare system in India. It encompasses telemedicine, tele-ICU, online pharmacies, mobile health, home diagnostic services, etc.
For instance, having community-based telehealth kiosks with high-quality video equipment in small towns and villages allows patients to connect with specialist doctors anywhere to carry out accurate diagnostics. This is greatly beneficial for people struggling with transportation, making healthcare more accessible.
High quality audio and video services allows healthcare professionals to see and hear patients clearly, helping them provide the necessary medical treatments and guidance. Tele-healthcare services also improves efficiency in terms of coverage of patients per day and the number of examinations can be doubled compared to OPD consultations, thanks to streamlining processes through technology. In addition to helping fill the void of doctor-patient ratios, this service allows doctors to see patients whom they otherwise won’t have time to see and also help them cut down on their traveling time.
Enabling efficient telehealth services in rural India through collaboration technology
To have a sound telehealth system in place, hospitals need to deliver services that make patients, doctors, and other caregivers feel like they’re in the same room, no matter where they’re located. This is where pro-quality communication and collaboration solutions come in, enabling a better virtual experience.
Post the first wave, leading telemedicine startups such as Practo, 1mg, mFine, iCliniq, claimed a 4-9 times surge in doctor consultations, with close to 80 per cent first-time users on their platforms.
The pandemic revolutionised the way that telemedicine is perceived in the country.
Healthcare providers can use communication and collaboration technology to transform their businesses in two fruitful ways: first, by enabling an expansion of telehealth services that improve outcomes and increase patient satisfaction, second by empowering healthcare employees to work on their schedules that provide them with flexibility and improve their wellness and worklife balance.
The common denominator here is collaboration technology that facilitates a consistent, flexible, and equal virtual meeting experience with amazingly clear audio and video, no matter where people are located.
The healthcare industry’s communication and collaboration technology can bridge the existing divide, enabling providers to extend telehealth services to underserved individuals and communities.
Achieving social equity of care depends on using technology to deliver a telehealth experience that looks and sounds like the patient is seeing the doctor or therapist in person while achieving better outcomes for people who lacked access to these services in the past. While telehealth consultations and technology are unlikely to replace face-to-face care completely, they have an integral part in increasing access to health services, thus revolutionising how rural citizens get access to medical care in our country.
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