The Covid-19 pandemic saw India leverage digital technology to achieve health goals and this can enable vulnerable groups, especially children and adolescents access basic health services and lead a healthier life.
Dr Karin Källander, Senior Health Adviser and Chief of the Digital Health & Information Systems Unit in the UNICEF Health Programme was recently in Goa at the Health Working Group of G20 where she spoke on digital health. She says digital health can be a transformative force, especially in poor countries.
Following are excerpts of an interaction with Financial Express Online:
Digital Health is considered synonymous with Global Health. Do you see it as a game changer?
Yes, digital health has the potential to be a gamechanger in the field of global health. It can bridge the gap between underserved populations and healthcare services. For example, telehealth, both between patients and providers, as well as providers-to-providers, allows for remote consultations, which can be particularly valuable in rural or remote areas where access to healthcare is limited. Mobile health (mHealth) applications can provide health information, reminders, and educational resources to people who may not have access to traditional healthcare services.
Digital health can streamline healthcare processes, reduce administrative burdens, and improve healthcare efficiency. AI and data analytics can help in automating routine tasks, optimizing scheduling, and improving decision-making, leading to more efficient healthcare delivery.
It can potentially also facilitate research and innovation in global health. Big data analytics can help in identifying patterns and trends in health data, informing public health policies and interventions. AI can aid in the development of predictive models for disease outbreaks and epidemics, supporting early warning systems and response planning.
In recent years, how have digital interventions helped in reaching vulnerable children and adolescents?
Mobile health (mHealth) applications have enabled vulnerable children and adolescents to access important health information and services. For instance, in remote or underserved areas, mHealth apps for community health workers have been deployed to provide information on preventive health measures, nutrition, and vaccination schedules, helping to improve health outcomes for vulnerable populations. These systems can also help identify underserved children who could benefit from outreach services like vaccines.
Digital health tools like moderated chatbots have been successfully used to convey trusted and engaging information on mental health and other topics for adolescents.
Digital interventions have been used to raise awareness about child rights, hygiene practices, sexual and reproductive health, and mental health among vulnerable children and adolescents.
Through mobile-based reporting systems, frontline health workers can capture data on health status, growth, and development of vulnerable children and adolescents, helping to identify and address health concerns in a timely manner.
In India, technology helped, especially during COVID-19, in accessing remote areas for vaccinations and immunising a massive population. How did other countries fare during COVID-19 with their various immunisation programmes? How is the India story unique?
The success of immunization programmes during COVID-19 in different countries depended on various factors, like the availability of vaccines, health system infrastructure, digital health capabilities, community engagement, and equity considerations.
India has a massive population and a well-established universal immunization programme. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the Indian government utilized technology, such as the CoWIN platform, to register and schedule Covid-19 vaccinations for eligible individuals. CoWIN enabled online registration, appointment scheduling, and tracking of vaccination status, which helped in managing the immunization program at scale.
The United States faced challenges in the initial phases of Covid-19 vaccination due to limited vaccine supply and distribution issues. However, technology was utilized to set up mass vaccination sites, online appointment scheduling, and tracking of vaccine doses administered.
The India story is unique due to the massive scale of its immunization program, the utilization of the CoWIN platform, and the extensive use of mobile vans and outreach programs to reach remote and underserved areas.
What is unique is that India is now extending the scope of the CoWin platform to cover services for children and pregnant women under a new name – U-win. Such services for vulnerable groups will eventually have large health impacts.
As president of G20, India has made digital health a primary focus of progress. In your understanding, how can India’s digital interventions be replicated in other countries/ or similar programmes be initiated?
As the President of G20, India’s focus on Digital Health can serve as a model for other countries to replicate or initiate similar programs. India’s success in digital health can be attributed to a well-defined digital health strategy that aligns with the country’s health priorities. Other countries can replicate this approach by developing their own comprehensive digital health strategies that align with their specific health needs and goals.
India has created a supportive regulatory environment for digital health interventions by developing policies and regulations that facilitate innovation, privacy, and security. Other countries can replicate this approach by creating similar regulatory frameworks that provide clear guidelines for the development, implementation, and monitoring of digital health interventions.
India’s digital health interventions have aimed to address equity and inclusivity by reaching vulnerable and marginalized populations. They also have a focus on continuity of care, such as the ANMOL platform which is currently deployed in 30 states, which allows auxiliary nurse midwives to track pregnant women and children’s health over the life course, to ensure that they receive essential health interventions on time.
Health workers across the world are burdened with paperwork and report filing. How has digital health lightened the load? Are paperless hospitals the future?
Research shows that health workers spend on average 33% of their time filling out reports. Digital health has indeed contributed to reducing the burden of paperwork and report filing for health workers around the world. With the implementation of electronic health records (EHRs), electronic community health platforms, health information systems, and other digital tools, the process of collecting, managing, and storing health data has become more efficient and streamlined, reducing the need for paper-based documentation.
Digital health tools can automate data collection and reporting processes, reducing the need for manual data entry and report filing. For example, mobile apps,electronic health records and other digital tools that are used during the consultation with the patient, can automatically collect data needed for health information systems and can automatically process and transmit data from patient records, eliminating the need for manual data collection, summary and recording.
While paperless hospitals may not be fully realized everywhere, digital health has certainly contributed to reducing the reliance on paper-based documentation in many health care settings.
