Healthcare experts call for providing affordable, simplified digital health solutions to elderly population

Mumbai, November 22, 2021:

Hailing the rapid pace of digitization of healthcare sector, experts have called for digital technologies to provide affordable, simple-to-use healthcare solutions to a growing and ageing population, for whom it is usually difficult to accept new technologies.

“The concept of digital health is not new. The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic accelerated the need for ongoing digital health advancements. Digital technologies must provide simplified and affordable healthcare solutions to elderly population who is often unwilling to adopt new technologies,” said Rohan Prem Sagar, executive director, Sagar Hospitals.

Talking about drivers of digital health, Sagar said, “Digital health is reshaping the business models of the healthcare sector. Covid-19 pandemic has expedited the pace of digitization of healthcare sector, with India having one of the highest rates of implementation. Significant efforts are required to normalize the use of digital health on a social level. These efforts should involve broad-reaching educational initiatives to upskill both health professionals and the general population.”

The approach to the Covid-19 pandemic has demonstrated that technology can make a significant impact in the healthcare sector. Healthcare professionals have toiled relentlessly in the wake of the pandemic. The lessons learnt during the epidemic must lead to sustained healthcare technology investments, he said.

Shedding light on potential threats to digital health, Sagar Hospitals executive director said “Many ethical issues have also emerged as a result of the growing digitization of healthcare and the use of mobile and IoT devices as data collection methods. Our ideas about patient safety will have to shift as medicine advances away from traditional clinical-based patient care and toward the personalised and preventative approaches offered by digital health applications. The current rate of technology advancement also raises worries about safety. There is frequently a scarcity of high-quality, evidence-based studies demonstrating the health benefits of new technologies.”

Hailing the Prime Minister's current Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, he said “Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission which aims to increase healthcare IT penetration is good news. The emphasis on digital health, such as app-based solutions, makes it even more crucial. This is because using digital technology to treat and cure diseases is incredibly cost-effective.”

“This type of patient-centric, IT-based solution might help everyone in the industry improve efficiency and claim management. Fast, effective data transmission can benefit both patients and the healthcare industry,” he summed up.

Launched by PM Narendra Modi in September this year, Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission will connect the digital health solutions of hospitals across the country with each other. The Mission will not only make the processes of hospitals simplified but also will increase ease of living. The digital ecosystem will also enable a host of other facilities like digital consultation, consent of patients in letting medical practitioners access their records, etc. With the implementation of this scheme, old medical records cannot get lost as every record will be stored digitally. PharmaBiz