by Arindam Sen
Telehealth is a rapidly growing field in India and has the potential to revolutionise India’s healthcare system. It represents a significant shift in how healthcare is provided in India as it helps break down the barriers of distance, cost, and accessibility. For many people in India, medical care can be hard to access due to physical limitations, cost, or lack of awareness. With telehealth, patients can receive medical care remotely, doing away with the necessity for in-person appointments. Patients in rural locations can now receive healthcare more easily and affordably. According to the Quality Council of India, the market size of telehealth in India was estimated at $0.32 billion in 2020, during the covid year. And further, according to the National Health Authority, the estimated rural population that will have access to virtual health care will increase from 6 million to 75 million in the next five years due to the widespread adoption of telehealth services. Experts have also claimed that the potential of telehealth in India is expected to grow by nearly 167% from 2017 to 2025.
Catalysts of Telehealth in India:
Boundaryless care: Telehealth is already transforming healthcare in India in a variety of ways. It enables specialised medical professionals to remotely treat patients in isolated and underserved places. Patients in these places may have difficulty getting the care they require because many specialists may not be able to physically go to rural and distant areas. It allows rural doctors to connect with specialists and sub-specialists across the globe in real time. By leveraging secure video conferencing technology, a specialist can provide an extensive range of care in the case of cardiology, neurology, etc. with exceptional speed and accuracy. However, medical professionals may now deliver high-quality care remotely through telehealth technologies. This is providing access to essential care for patients who may otherwise not be able to receive it.
Affordability: Telehealth is making healthcare more affordable and accessible. By eliminating the need to physically travel to receive care, telehealth is making healthcare more affordable for those in remote or rural areas who may not be able to access the care they need. Studies have found that telehealth can reduce costs by 20% to 40%, depending on the type of care provided. For instance, by providing remote monitoring of chronic conditions such as diabetes, telehealth can help reduce hospitalizations and ER visits, resulting in cost savings. Telehealth can also reduce delays in diagnosis and treatment and reduce unnecessary tests. This helps improve the quality of care and reduce costs, which is especially important in a country like India where there is a major shortage of medical professionals and resources.
Early detection and customised care: By enabling remote patient monitoring, telehealth also aids in preventing illnesses and early detection, resulting in better health outcomes. With the use of technology, patients can be monitored remotely and communicate with healthcare providers or even their own doctors. This implies that they will get medical guidance and care that is specific to their requirements. Additionally, since physicians will have access to patient data, they can create treatment regimens that are more efficient and customised, improving outcomes. This also means that medical support can be quickly provided should any complications arise. Additionally, with the advancement of machine learning, diagnostic accuracy is also becoming more efficient.
Advancement of healthcare: Finally, telehealth is assisting in the improvement of healthcare delivery and expansion of healthcare services. Through telehealth, patients in rural locations who would not otherwise have access to specialists’ services can be connected with those in major cities. Telehealth also helps expand services that require specialised medical equipment that is not available in all areas, such as teleradiology, teleophthalmology, or telepsychiatry. This helps expand the scope of medical services available to patients in India. The technology is particularly beneficial for specialised care for any complicated patient case in tier 2 and tier 3 cities that require a higher degree of medical knowledge. Providing direct access to the best clinical advice helps to complete the advanced treatment of patients.
The lack of knowledge and comprehension among healthcare providers and patients is one of the main challenges to the adoption of telehealth in rural India. It’s critical that both patients and service providers are well-informed about the advantages of telehealth and how to use it in order for it to realise its full potential. To overcome this, it is crucial that the government launch a public awareness campaign to inform both the general public and healthcare practitioners about the potential of telehealth.
With its promise of revolutionising healthcare, telehealth holds great potential to improve patient outcomes and access to healthcare services in the country and maybe the foundation for achieving universal healthcare in the nation. Through improved access and cost-saving measures, it can improve the lives of Indian citizens while providing medical professionals with the best information available to provide the best care possible. This will ultimately result in better outcomes for patients and lead to a healthier population overall. As technology continues to advance, telehealth is poised to continue to have a profound impact on healthcare in India.
(The author is Arindam Sen, Director, i2i Telesolutions, the career- tech platform, and the views expressed in this article are his own)
