By Deepshikha Singh, Managing Editor, Consultants Review
The evolution of healthcare in India over the past few years has been a mixed bag. From siloed and manually performed operations to connected stakeholders powered by a range of technologies, everything has been automated. Technology is revolutionizing the healthcare industry with Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and Virtual Reality; offering the potential to provide next-generation healthcare to patients, while driving leaner and more responsive organizations. With the technological advancements and digital initiatives, there have been disruptions within the healthcare sector and this has shifted the control in the hands of the consumers. The gradual shift in the power from hospitals, doctors and other caregivers to patients has led to great improvements in the healthcare sector.
With each passing year, the healthcare industry is becoming more competitive, which means that facilities that want to remain on top will have to make sure that they are able to meet the requirements with changing times
While Indian healthcare has always posed a big question around accessibility and affordability for most of its population, the need of the hour is centered on the adoption of technology in healthcare industry. As the population ages and more people begin to need medical and social care, this problem is poised to assume mammoth proportions in the next 20 years, unless we take significant measures to address it. From the Medical equipments in hospitals and clinics to mobile care applications and wearables and sensors, there are numerous forms of technology which are transforming the way healthcare industry functions in today’s date. These enable caregivers to perform their roles more easily by automating the logging-on mechanism, automating real-time updates of patient vitals and providing insights into early detection of diseases.
The Information Technology has changed the face of the medical industry completely by shifting from the traditional method to digitalization. In today’s fast-paced world where every second is precious, managing a hospital can be a very daunting task at hand. With the introduction of hospital management software the medical management set-up has changed entirely. Today, everything can be handled by an access-controlled digital system where availability of information depends on users’ rights and there is minimum possibility of data breach as well as the entire process turns paperless at the same time.
With quality, outcomes, and value being the watchwords for the healthcare industry in 21st century, sector stakeholders around the globe are looking for innovative and cost-effective ways to deliver patient-centered, technology-enabled ‘smart’ health care, inside as well as outside the hospital walls. Indian healthcare has immense opportunites and the existing healthcare service and solution providers are reinventing existing delivery models to bridge the gaps between healthcare and patients. With each passing year, the healthcare industry is becoming more competitive, which means that facilities that want to remain on top will have to make sure that they are able to meet the requirements with changing times. Healthcare consultants with their sharp and discerning eye can be considered as one of the best assets that any organization has, to make sure that they are able to recognize their full potential.