Technology in Healthcare: Unlocking Digital Health for a Better Future

The Healthcare sector has often seen numerous advancements over the years, but it has just got accelerated to new heights only in the recent past. One such advancement that took shape in the doctor-patient consultation process comes in the form of digital consultation, overriding the traditional form of in-person consultation to a new dynamic way of virtual consultation. While COVID-19 has redefined our wellness habits in many ways, it has brought a new paradigm in the doctor consultation process, wherein it completely changed our typical thought process of looking for a doctor in the nearby location to a thought-provoking notion to look for a doctor beyond boundaries and consult the best practitioner, regardless of geography.

With technology setting a new pace for the healthcare industry, not only the healthcare providers took charge and imbibed the technology into the DNA of health care systems, it was equally adapted by the practitioners and the patients. The outbreak of novel coronavirus has also alarmed many nations to quickly introduce or redefine their healthcare policies, bringing telehealth as the new way, if not the only way to consult a doctor for any basic health checkups or requirements. The need for telehealth scaled up from the single-digit adoption to 77% across the world and it is further estimated that the $100 billion telehealth market is going to reach $500 billion in the next five years. Thus, COVID-19 has made clear that virtual consultation is not the future, but it is the present.

As compared to the traditional way of consultation, telehealth comes with much greater advantages. It combines convenience and comfort, thus making the doctor consultation process a fulfilling and hassle-free experience. For a patient, the time and effort spent looking for the old prescription to recalling doctor’s suggestions is all made easy in the virtual platform, wherein at the click of a button, one can easily revisit the previous prescriptions and medical records at any given point of time. Sometimes, the money and time spent travelling to a remote doctor’s clinic can be stressful and this could lead to skipping treatments by the patients. But with telehealth visits, the doctor is accessible to the patient on their personal devices such as phone, laptop or any other digital device, making the entire process outcome-driven and much economical.

In a country like India, where there is an increasing physician shortage especially in remote locations, telehealth can be used to reach patients in rural areas and outside the normal care delivery systems. Using telehealth for remote monitoring of the patients can also be beneficial for the practitioners, as they can consult more patients in a limited time and engage with them in their journey towards health. In addition to reducing overheads cost such as clinic rental, staff etc, telehealth is less time-consuming for both practitioners and patients. With the ease at which the appointments are scheduled and remote consulting takes place with the patients, the entire cycle becomes seamless, faster and economical.

While COVID-19 kick-started a transformational journey for the digital healthcare sector, from it being more of a theoretical subject of discussion to a practical and solution-based approach in the current scenario, technology continues to stand as a backbone for the healthcare industry. Unlocking the digital healthcare ecosystem can help drive healthcare values. From regular communication between the practitioners and patients to optimising health monitoring, from advanced care integration to reducing medical errors, from AI and ML-powered data integration methods to preventive health services, telehealth holds strong promises in the long term.

Mr Raul Kallo, Founder & CEO at Viveo Health>