Dr Mradul Kaushik, Director, Operations and Planning, BLK Super Speciality Hospital opines on how adopting new components of people, process and technology, Indian health institutions are providing world class patient-centric quality healthcare
Indian healthcare is currently going through a rapid transformation to meet its unique challenges which certainly need innovative solutions. The rising disease burden calls for extra efforts. Rising patient consumerism and increasing insurance penetration are some of the disruptive trends which the Indian health economy is presently witnessing. To make the system more patient-centric, Indian health institutions, both from public and private sector, are adopting new components of people, process and product. Scaling up health management processes with new technologies and innovations would lead us to the desired level of advancement in terms of better clinical outcomes and patient safety.
Transforming tertiary care
To deliver world class quality and patient-centric tertiary care to the people, Indian health institutions need highly experienced and fully trained medical professionals who are well equipped to adopt new processes, technologies and innovations. The role of tertiary care is very critical in providing quality and patient-centric care. As the Indian healthcare sector evolves, operational excellence becomes the top priority to bring in transparency in systems, improvement in patient engagement and experience.
Advanced technologies play a crucial role in improving healthcare access, outcomes and driving the optimal use of limited resources. Digitisation is fundamentally changing the way healthcare is delivered and the overall health consumer experience. The expectations of healthcare consumers have also evolved, and they are demanding greater convenience, transparency and quality.
The biggest challenge before us is to provide world class quality and patient-centric services to the people and to address this, we are adopting new tools, IT architecture, technologies and processes. Over the years, the number of Joint Commission International (JCI) accredited hospitals in India has considerably increased and that indicates our institutions are achieving a high level of quality, transparency, care and safety. Our hospital and other super speciality hospitals in the country have undergone radical transformation and that is helping us in addressing various challenges and creates new opportunities. New technologies and innovation laid the foundation of this transformation in terms of quality of care, consumer experience with transparency, and operational efficiency.
The hospitals are also exploring newer geographies, digitising healthcare with e- health records (EHRs) or an e-prescription and other innovative solutions. For example BLK Super Speciality Hospital has gone ahead to redefine patient care with technologically advanced innovations, excellent support services for overseas patients, in every sphere there is an uncompromised desire to deliver the highest standards of services for overall satisfaction to our patients.
New technologies
With adoption of new components of people, process and technologies, a new business model has emerged and that is playing a powerful role in creating a new and sustainable healthcare economy. Need of the hour is to get high quality clinical outcomes with focus on patient safety to match the growing demand of healthcare in the country. On the technology front, hospitals need to adopt new and best in class technologies. For Example BLK Hospital has recently added integrated robotic programme for advancement in surgery where surgeons use computer controlled robot to assist them in certain surgical procedures. Robotics offers multiple advantages and has revolutionised the surgical approach. Apart from this, BLK is the only hospital in northern India to offer most advanced configuration of tomotherapy which features 3 Dimensional on Board Megavoltage Computed Tomography (MVCT) and the latest configuration of Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT).
At BLK hospital we are soon upgrading our radiology services and since technology is at an edge at today’s medical world, we will be launching South Asia’s first Signa Artist MRI wide Bore (70 cm) with advanced functional Imaging. These newer technologies will enhance patient’s satisfaction and experience.
Bridging gaps
It is a well-known fact that, India has less number of doctors and nurses compared to WHO norms. Radical reforms are needed to bridge the demand-supply gap. It is promising to note that a large number of well qualified Indian doctors, working in the US, UK and other countries, are coming back and they are immensely contributing to the growth of the sector. Now India is offering them facilities and package matching the global standard. Hence, professionals from other countries are also coming to India for practice. However, we still have a huge shortage of doctors and digital health solutions such as telemedicine can fill the gap to a certain extent. India is also witnessing shortage of nurses and paramedics. Therefore, for nursing staff to stop going out, Indian health institutions need to provide better working conditions and there is need to work on their special trainings as well. Even paramedics are required to be trained adequately to handle emergency situations.
Training and research has become integral part of our enormous efforts to cope with the rising disease burden. Senior doctors are highly qualified and internationally trained and in turn they can train their juniors to handle complex cases.
Road ahead
Indian institutions have made their mark in providing the best-in-class healthcare to not only to countrymen patients but also to patients coming from abroad. The patients from abroad come to Indian hospitals for their treatment because of the advance knowledge, technology, skills of doctors, improved infrastructure, trained paramedics and the confidence doctors pass to their patient for progressive healing. India excels in organ transplantation, bone marrow transplants (BMT), cancer, cardiac and orthopaedics treatment. Case in point is again our hospital, where we are getting large number of overseas patients. The Indian healthcare sector has been powered by the latest technological developments that have added immensely to the standard of medical care offered. Overall, we are at the cusp of transformation and a new healthcare economy is emerging slowly but surely. New trends, techniques and technologies are scalable and we need to make concerted efforts with stakeholders collectively participating in creation of a new healthcare economy in India.