siliconindia | | October 20208in my opinionn India, digital innovations in healthcare have, typically, come into existence out of sheer necessity. In recent times, we have seen them evolve as a response to the global Covid-19 outbreak. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement of the National Digital Health Mission on India's 74th Independence Day bears a testament to the importance of digitization in healthcare, particularly in the current scenario.Simply put, digitization involves the coming together of medical knowledge and IT applications or technologies to help improve healthcare. Whether it entails harnessing key data through smart wearables and digital devices or using algorithms based on artificial intelligence to screen patients, digitization can be a game-changer, transforming healthcare in myriad ways.New opportunitiesThe pandemic made adapting to telemedicine or teleconsultation inevitable, considering the health risks posed by physical consultations. In record time, healthcare providers and patients moved into virtual sessions, turning the threat into a new opportunity.With the Indian Government notifying the Telemedicine Practice Guidelines earlier this year, patients in India can now consult with doctors over chat, audio, or video for diagnosis. For cancer patients who often have to travel far and wait long to get an appointment with an oncologist, timely teleconsultations can be the biggest differentiator between those who survive and those who succumb to the disease.An insightful report, published by McKinsey Global Institute in 2019, titled `Digital India: Technology to transform a connected nation', states that India can save nearly $10 billion if 30-40 percent of face-to-face consultations make way for teleconsultation by 2025. By leveraging technology for healthcare delivery, India can address many long-standing challenges.Better access & qualityAccording to the 2019 World Health Statistics Report, released for World Health Day, access to healthcare and quality of care inIndia is abysmally poor, with the country ranked among the lowest worldwide. This was despite India improving its ranking on global healthcare access and quality (HAQ) index from 153 in 1990 to 145 in 2016.TIME FOR INDIA TO EMBRACE DIGITAL HEALTHBy Amit Sharma, Group Head - Strategy and IT, Cytecare Cancer HospitalsArmed with over a decade experience, Amit Sharma is engaged with a team of passionate professionals who are working towards providing world class cancer care to Indian patients at Cytecare. Recognizing the significant gap in quality of cancer care and lack of use of standard, evidence-based protocols in cancer therapy in India, Amit Sharma brings in global best practices that is aimed at better clinical outcomes while also focusing on individual patient needs. In his past experience he has worked with reputed institutions like GVK Biosciences, iGate and Cognizant Business Consulting among others before joining Cytecare.I
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