What are the future telemedicine trends to look out for in India?
Telemedicine is also referred to as “telehealth” or “e-health”. Rapid advancements in connected care technology, big data and analytics are continuing to move telemedicine into the mainstream as it allows healthcare professionals to evaluate, diagnose and treat patients in remote locations using telecommunications technology. The approach towards this has evolved over the last decade and its adoption rate has significantly improved. Covid-19 has certainly changed thetelemedicine future trends!
Though traditionally telemedicine is viewed as a tool to bridge the accessibility gap to provide care to remote areas, the capabilities and full potential of telemedicine are yet to be realized. A patient-centric way to provide quality healthcare services, telemedicine has yielded an opportunity for standardization and equity in the provision of healthcare. As India is striving to achieve sustainable development goals, using all the available resources is important to be able to provide universal health coverage, and telemedicine is one of them.
Telemedicine tackles a considerable portion of health issues and promises to ease the burden on traditional healthcare. It offers the advantages of synchronised data, time, and location independence; it makes treatment for patients more affordable and prevents self-medication. Telemedicine helps transcend geographical boundaries and gives people a chance to consult with the best doctors in the country from wherever they are. Telemedicine platforms have responded to the rapid digitization by putting video consultations at the core of their services, and this has opened a field for new and improved photo and video devices. Chatbots have been embedded in the software for a dual goal of asking for patient information and cutting down time and effort for physicians to integrate and standardise data. Telemedicine trends are now anticipated to become a major source of international trade.
The future of telemedicine trends in healthcare is impacted by many technologies. The increasing use of smartphones and broadband internet connectivity are expanding the market for telemedicine.New health technologies such as wearable tech, telemedicine, genomics, virtual reality (VR), robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) are changing the landscape of the Indian healthcare system.
One such example is Cilika Microscopes - world’s first smartphone integrated microscope for diagnostics and research, proudly manufactured by MedPrime Technologies. A patented technology and completely made in India product; Cilika is suitable for histopathology, microbiology, hematology and all other fields of clinical diagnostics. Cilika’s patented technology, allows you to capture the entire circular view exactly as you observe through the eyepiece as compared to the conventional microscope camera mounts which reduce the field of view by more than 50%. The image capturing, video recording, data sharing and live streaming capabilities make it the ideal product for telepathology, enabling remote diagnosis and expert consultations without physically transporting the samples. The Cilika portable series microscope is the perfect product for those who require high quality imaging on the go.
Telemedicine in India is still at a nascent stage when compared to the US and China, but that is set to change. Adaptive intelligent solutions can help lower the barriers between hospitals and patients, improving access to care and enhancing overall patient satisfaction, particularity in tier II and III cities in India. Like many other markets, India too is at the cusp of a ‘digital health’ revolution.
Covid-19 has forced the healthcare industry to change how healthcare is delivered with telehealth taking a front-row seat. It is rapidly becoming the new normal, and we are doubtless looking at a future of contactless and connected virtual health.