Telemedicine in India is expanding; it is the roadmap for improved
health care in rural India. NHS (National Health Stack) aims to have records of
all citizens in digital format by 2022 which will make telemedicine and
E-Health easy to implement for UHC.
Telemedicine is rapidly growing and is expected to be worth about
$130.5 billion by the year 2025, according to a study by Global Market
Insights. The reason telemedicine is considered a viable option is because it
can reach formerly underserved areas like rural regions, and also reach
patients in homes. Healthcare options provided remotely through
telecommunications networks may increase reach to those with limited or no
access to healthcare services. One example of a successful telemedicine
initiative is the European Patient Smart Open Services (epSOS) project,
launched by the European Union to develop telemedicine services across member
states.
Telemedicine in Developing Nations
Even though the requirements of telemedicine applications for
developing nations is more demanding as compared to developed nations, it can
help bridge the gap in healthcare access. Developing nations usually have a low
patient-doctor ratio, few specialists, and rural populations in need of
healthcare. In such a scenario, telemedicine applications can help these
countries reach far-flung areas and rural regions receive medical care.
However, the implementation of telemedicine initiatives needs a thorough investigation
of social, organizational, and technical aspects in developing countries.
Developing countries can identify goals and develop projects to achieve one or
more of these goals. For example, goals could include remote diagnosing,
teleconsulting systems, remote monitoring systems, remote intervention systems,
remote education systems, etc. Factors to consider while deploying telemedicine
products include the country, resources required, locations, infrastructure,
organization, project effectiveness and innovation.
Global Telemedicine Initiatives
In America, telemedicine is aiming to solve the challenges of
geography, temperate climate, and topography with data-driven approaches.
Through telehealth technologies, the US aims to bring healthcare to all locations
and regions. In the US, remote patient monitoring is much higher compared to
other countries that have better healthcare systems. Remote patient monitoring
is an emerging field that combines interconnected equipment and data analytics
applications, allowing for high-quality care of patients outside typical
clinical settings. The US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), is using
telemedicine to serve veterans across the country. It is the largest telehealth
programme in the US, with 700,000 veterans participating in telehealth
services. It has served patients from urban Houston to rural Idaho using
tablets, desktops, smartphones, delivered diagnostic metrics using the internet
and offered about 50 clinical specialties. Some notable initiatives using telehealth
include tele psychiatry services by Westchester Medical Center Health in New
York’s Hudson Valley, Avera eCARE’s virtual hospital and Northwell Health that
is using telehealth to help treat behavioral health and stroke care. These
initiatives have helped in the reduction of costs and an increase in
efficiency, which proves that telehealth can help countries achieve their
healthcare goals with increased effectiveness.
How Telemedicine in India Can Help Achieve UHC
The Ayushman Bharat scheme, touted to be the largest
government-funded health scheme in the world, aims to strengthen health
systems, improve access to free medicines; diagnostics and reducing
catastrophic healthcare spending in India. According to Union Health Minister
JP Nadda, “India firmly believes in the objective of attainment of the highest
possible level of health – a state of complete physical, mental, spiritual and
social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” The
government is already working with the private sector to provide healthcare
through telemedicine in rural areas. Apollo Remote Healthcare, an offshoot of
integrated healthcare delivery system of Apollo hospitals, is serving about 50
prominent cities in India and has a wide network with services in 22 nations.
Under the Digital India initiative, Apollo Remote Healthcare has its presence
in 60,000 villages and provides patient-centric care to everyone accessing the
services. The services it offers include Tele- Emergency, Tele-ICU,
Tele-Condition Management along with regular services like Tele-Consults,
Tele-Radiology, Tele-Cardiology, etc. The initiative is also using technologies
like ICT, Machine Learning, AI to reduce healthcare costs, improve access,
provide efficient services, and customize services. Remote healthcare
initiatives can strengthen primary healthcare services and bridge gaps in
distance, socio-economic status, and environmental conditions and help achieve
UHC in India.
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