Digital Technology Archives - InnoHEALTH magazine

Digital Technology And Healthcare: An Integration Which Is Here to Stay!

InnoHEALTH magazine digital team — Mon, 31 Oct 2022 11:17:21 +0000

The digital technology has not only impoverished its efficiency in operation for a better patient care but has increased the total outlook of both healthcare professionals for treatment & diagnosis.

No one can stop technology from evolving. As I sip a cup of coffee taking a break from diagnostic work , I wonder at some point, every part of our lives will have changed through the power of digital technologies. Hasn’t it?

The recent pandemic has revolutionized many aspects of human life, one among the many which tops the list is undoubtedly the accelerated integration of digital technology and healthcare revolutionising the practice of medicine. The digital technology has not only impoverished its efficiency in operation for a better patient care but has increased the total outlook of both healthcare professionals for treatment & diagnosis. Let us now take a bird’s eye view on how the technology has gone hand in glove for the healthcare industry.

With the incorporation of electronic health records (EHR) the scenario has changed to a digital versions of a patient’s paper chart.

Enhanced Communication:

Gone are the days when one had to prepare a day ahead to visit his physician for consultation as it would take most of his day. Today teleconsultations have become commonplace and all it takes is a smart phone to block a slot and finish a video consultation within four walls of one’s home .No longer do physicians have to stagnate their practice to a confined clinic. Teleconferencing has made even cross border consultations for patients and opinion exchange for practitioners easy.

Electronic Health Records (EHRs) :

Many of us often faced a situation when during a doctor’s visit we ended up putting up a sad face when he would have asked for old ailment or medical records? Sheets of papers and laboratory reports would be packed in a cover only until recovery and then forgotten till the next spurt of disease. With the incorporation of electronic health records (EHR) the scenario has changed to a digital versions of a patient’s paper chart. The EHR is a boon where real-time, patient-centered records are kept and the information is made available instantly and securely to authorized users. While an EHR records the medical and treatment histories of patients, an EHR system is built to store standard clinical data collected in a provider’s office and can be inclusive of a broader view of a patient’s care.

EHRs contain a patient’s medical history, diagnoses, medications, treatment plans, immunization dates, allergies, radiology images, and laboratory investigation results. This digital format helps share information with other health care providers and organizations – such as laboratories, specialists, medical imaging facilities, pharmacies, emergency facilities, and school and workplace clinics – so they contain the overall information from all specialists involved in a patient’s care. It makes hassle free shifting of patients from one centre to the other.

Big Data:

Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled devices have made remote monitoring in the healthcare sector possible, unleashing the potential to keep patients safe and healthy, and helping the clinicians to deliver superlative care.

Medical research is the backbone to develop sustainable medicines and devices for which massive data access is a pertinent. The collection of data for epidemiological studies, research, or clinical trials, digital technology for laboratories and institutes has been more diverse and cater to a wider population due to incorporation of digital technology. As we step into the era of preventive medicine, studying trends in big data facilitate early detection of chronic and lifestyle diseases.

Wearables and IoTs :

The digital revolution has developed hundreds of wearables that monitor real time human body parameters like blood pressure, pulse rate, oxygen saturation and the like. These apps enable patients to monitor their health and disease with a timely alarm of concern. Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled devices have made remote monitoring in the healthcare sector possible, unleashing the potential to keep patients safe and healthy, and helping the clinicians to deliver superlative care. It also keeps the physician updated on the effect of medication dosages and modifies treatment protocols by tracking vitals when needed without personal consultation visits

Artificial intelligence :

AI – the digital technology where machines mimic human cognition, and are capable of learning, thinking, and making decisions or taking actions. AI has unified man and machine in many fields of medicine including medical laboratories, radio diagnosis surgical specialities and in the form of smart monitoring devices in critical care units. Precision medicine is the application of AI wherein AI-powered body scans can spot early stages of cancer and vascular diseases and predict health issues people might face because of their genetic constitution.

The road ahead……

Digital technology has literally transformed healthcare and the trend is expected to continue in the years to come. Artificial Intelligence, machine learning, deep learning, blockchain, healthcare mobile apps, wearables and many other such advancements will change the future of healthcare. However, algorithm developers must be careful to keep the access secure and validate the technology before being declared for use. Also with a humongous population of 1.3 billion scattered across urban and rural India challenges in healthcare delivery are posed in terms of accessibility, affordability and quality.The partnership between technology and humans could reap tremendous rewards.

Will machines take over the physician’s role?

Well yes and no. Healthcare delivery will undoubtedly be enhanced in terms of diagnosis and treatment with integration of technology, but nothing can still take away the human touch. We have entered into an era of man with machine and not man versus machine paving way for a better and healthy tomorrow.

Composed by: “Dr.Archana Shetty, is currently working as a Blood Transfusion Officer and Associate Professor in the Department of Pathology at CDSIMER under the aegis of Dayananda Sagar University. An active academician with over 30 publications in national and international journals, her other interests include free verse poetry and blogging.”

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Dozee bags Assocham 'Start-up of the Year 2019 Award'

InnoHEALTH Magazine — Wed, 06 Nov 2019 10:00:04 +0000

Adding another feather on the cap, Made-in-India technology Dozee received the Tech Start-up of the Year 2019 Award at Assocham’s Emerging Digital Technologies Summit and Awards held in New Delhi on 31 October, 2019.

Speaking on the occasion, Mudit Dandwate, CEO & Co-founder Dozee said, “I am glad and humbled to have received this award. I take this opportunity to congratulate the entire Dozee team whose tireless efforts have made it possible. Also, I would like to thank Assocham for bestowing us with the honour. This award all the more inspires us to put in our best efforts every day and work towards our mission of ‘Simplifying Healthcare’.”

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Dozee is a patented contact-free health monitor, invented by Mudit Dandwate and Gaurav Parchani, graduates from IIT. It is a thin sensor sheet which goes below the mattress and monitors heart health, respiration, sleep quality and stress levels with 98.4% accuracy as compared to medical devices. It’s AI-powered technology not only flags cases of health deterioration before they become serious but also provides personalized recommendations to improve health.

Dozee has saved 36 lives so far by alerting users about health deterioration and helping them detect Tuberculosis, Arrhythmia, Pneumonia, Pulmonary Edema, Cardiac arrest and underdiagnosed conditions such as Sleep Apnea.

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The device is built specifically for home settings, requires no technical expertise to set up and provides an effective remote monitoring service that enables high-skilled medical staff to take decisions remotely.

Innovation Pitches from Global & Indian Companies in InnoHEALTH 2018 conference

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Digital Healthcare

InnoHEALTH Magazine — Mon, 29 Apr 2019 09:02:41 +0000

The population curve is swinging upwards and it highlights the urgency for easy and affordable healthcare for all. Age and disease demographics are changing rapidly with an increasing number of senior citizens and the rise in chronic disease incidence rates. When everything from a new car to table tennis balls to designer dresses is available online, why shouldn’t healthcare? A rhetorical question, but one that if answered, would obviously show us that the digital healthcare needs to be prioritized for us to push the growth of the medical industry as well as the quality of health and healthcare of our nation as a whole. The telemedicine boom has already taken off with remote monitors, wearable devices and data processors to augment the conventionally practisced basic medicine. These data processors allow a variety of different applications from the data collected to be efficiently examined, such as patient medical records, surveys, statistics, and complaint registers, etc. This may tangentially cause the discovery of more efficient methods of accurate diagnosis and improve the planning and allocation of medical resources for the patient and change our definition of primary care. Setting up appointments and accessing patient records no longer has to be a hassle.

What is Digital Health?

Put simply, the digitalization of healthcare means the integration of technology and robotics into the healthcare field. This is a platform for industrial growth as well as a revolution in the way we treat healthcare.

Tracking Health

Patient-friendly diagnostic and tracking devices allow patients to monitor their health parameters, like blood sugar levels, blood pressure, etc., much more efficiently. This enables them to be more in charge of their own well-being. This is not to say that technology is a replacement of the doctor, but rather an assistant for better medical decisions. The balance between doctor and patient can be less one-sided with the assistance of even their simplistic smartphone. Doctors will no longer have to utilize the Occam’s razor fallacy when diagnosing a patient, which says that if a patient has certain symptoms, the simplest condition fulfilling the symptoms must be the explanation. This has led to many misdiagnoses but with the help of effective and accurate digital analysis of the patient, the diagnosis can be done accurately. As improvements have been made in the field of diagnostic technology, these misdiagnoses have reduced by a large number, which clearly highlights the benefit of a system which can seamlessly integrate previous patient records with current monitored symptoms to assist the doctors in accurately analyzing and diagnosing a condition making it precise and personalized to improve therapy and also and patient adherence.

Technology

There are a plethora of interesting technological advancements that have been made in modern day medicine which can intrigue even the most skeptical person. As a by-product of these advances, point of care devices has been created for patients. Wearable skin sensors to analyze the electrolytes and biofluids that detect diabetes and cystic fibrosis, biosensors for diabetic patients which show their blood sugar straight onto their smartphone screen, relieving them of the pain of having to prick their fingers, conductive gels and patches which look like fashion accessories but are actually sophisticated technology, are just a few devices which have been created as advances, have been made to facilitate ease of healthcare. Mechanoacoustic skin sensors are being applied to quantitatively measure the rehabilitation in patients recovering from a stroke. Pacemakers were always important in cardiology, but their digitalization and remote monitoring have led them to last longer and respond more acutely to the patient’s needs. There are also implants that can electrically stimulate cardiac or brain tissues to treat conditions like irregular heartbeat, motor disorders, and cognitive impairments. The advantages for wearable devices are many, to monitor heart rates and training zones, analyzing exact calorie intake every day to better plan meals and snacks and tracking sleep. The aforementioned skin sensors that analyze biofluids are showing promising results in assessing stress levels as well. The ability to conduct microsurgery is also something requiring sophisticated hardware technologies and new imaging tools, but the outcome of the surgeries is far more accurate than anything that can be done by human hand.

Collaborative Decision Making

Collaborations between experts in computers, behavioral sciences, epidemiology medicine, engineering, and clinical research are necessary to make advances in the field. Other than devices, there are also various applicative cloud-based or internet technologies, which, and genome focused R&D, as well as alternative medical consultation making the benefits clear to the entire healthcare industry. Digital healthcare facilities can allow the growth of specialized knowledge among the medical community through advanced networks, technology-enabled peer-to-peer reviews, and emergency medical consultations during an emergency due to epidemics with mobile device laboratory capabilities and digital clinical trials.

Mobile Health

Mobile health is a significant part of the digital revolution and the apps can educate individuals and help them manage chronic diseases. Often when the information spreading via doctor-patient meetings falls short, the use of these mobile apps can allow the patients to interact directly with the doctors without any urgent scheduling required. This is not only cost efficient but convenient to the doctor as well as the patient. Mobile health also assists in disease surveillance, keeping track of outbreaks, and aids in supporting treatment.

Digital Medicine

But when it comes to the actual research happening, there are many fields in which creative growth is occurring, such as the research for targeted deliverance systems which can also reach the difficult to access internal organs and can even cross the blood brain barrier! There is research being done for automated healthcare for those patients who suffer from cognition and memory problems for long-term care. This field of research is being highly noticed with every new company start-up, and even the old pharmaceutical giants are noticing the developments in digital medicine.

The internet is the biggest platform to bring awareness to digitalization in the field of medicine. There are many popular websites on which there is a large penetration of awareness, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and even YouTube with LinkedIn leading in presence of the key players, maybe not so much inactivity and utility. Everyone from individuals to big companies is pro-digital health, as it is more efficient, cost friendly, and provides benefits for everyone. North America is the leader in digital progress and is dominating the market because of the large number of players and increasing partnership between them. Government schemes, as well as quick improvements in the IT scene, allow large growth of this industry. As with any industry, it will eventually spread globally, uniting the world under a digital health banner.

Also Read:
Medical IoT: Future Of Connected Health
Cyber4Healthcare: An Issue Of Today & Tomorrow
Social Media In Healthcare
DISHA – Need Of The Hour

Growth

As a model, however, this industry has not taken off to imaginable heights and there is a large scope for growth. Even though there is potential, the issue arises when there is no integration of the private and government sectors. This, however, is also due to high capital expenditure to develop the infrastructure in moderate economies and therefore cloud-based systems can be a possible solution. As more and more people use smartphones, the increase in demand for mobile apps provides an ample room for the digital technology bomb to light its fuse. When it is easy to bring about awareness, the actions taken due to that awareness will lead to a positive outcome. The rural populations access to healthcare services increases and offer them a large scope of point of care diagnostics, teleconsultation, and e-prescription facilities. This expansion in rural areas can lead to the increased pace of urbanization and therefore increase progress in any third world country. As the integration of these technologies happens with the standard healthcare system, the efficiency will increase, and this can help control the lack of healthcare in the ever-growing population, and make healthcare cheaper and more easily available. Eventually, given the right conditions, perhaps healthcare will be seen as a basic human right due to the strides in technology.

After understanding these benefits, it is irrefutable that digital healthcare can help bridge the gap between resource management and human labor in the medical field and is, therefore, a major key to our future. The world needs digital health, for a better and healthier tomorrow. There is a large scope for global market growth as well as India, and we must take initiative to ensure that the digital healthcare revolution becomes practicable. Accelerating the advancement of digital medicine will soon make it a way of life and we will then just call it medicine, not just a part of it.

About the Author

Dr. Deepti Saini is a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from AIIMS. After a decade of academic research and another half-decade spent in corporate research, she has ventured into entrepreneurship under the banner of “Protein Design” based in Bengaluru.

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SYMHEALTH 2019 | 19 – 20 April 2019

InnoHEALTH Magazine — Thu, 28 Feb 2019 09:46:34 +0000

National Conference on Interdisciplinary Approach to Healthcare

SYMHEALTH 2019
19th, 20th April 2019

SYMHEALTH, an annual mega event with an academically rich legacy attracts over 1200 delegates from all verticals of healthcare such as doctors, medico-legal experts, insurance & IT professionals, NGOs, hospital administrators & clinical research professionals from all over India and abroad.

SYMHEALTH 2019 is a two days’ event organized by the Faculty of Health and Biological Sciences (FoHBS), Symbiosis International (Deemed University), SIU which is being hosted at the university campus, Lavale, Pune on 19th & 20th April 2019. It is an event that marks the significance of integrating ideas and information from across many disciplines. This is in consonance with our mission of contributing towards knowledge generation & dissemination. The conference provides a platform through which various stakeholder groups can discuss and proffer practical and workable solutions to the challenges of healthcare.

The Conference will provide an opportunity for stakeholders beyond academia and industry, to exchange insights, present emerging opportunities, make networking connections, and to share resources. The two thought-provoking days of the conference results in deciphering knowledge both in the sessions and during the many planned opportunities to build rapport and alliances, share advice, stories, case reports and socialize throughout the conference.

The highlight of this year’s conference is the incorporation of ‘Connexions’ – a unique event on the first day of the conference. Connexions presents an opportunity for students to attend grooming and skills transfer sessions which prepares them to face interviews. A placement assistance drive is conducted after Connexions which facilitates interested enrolled candidates to interact and get interviewed with prospective recruiters and employers in the healthcare sector.

Dr. Balram Bhargava, Secretary, Department of Health Research, (Ministry of Health & Family Welfare) has kindly consented to be the Guest of Honor on 19th April 2019.

Dr. Sanjay Zodpey, Vice President Academics, Public Health Foundation of India, New Delhi will enlighten upon the Public Health Agenda for India wherein the Indian government has adopted the National Health Policy to “attain the highest possible level of health and well-being for all at all ages through a preventive and promotive health care orientation in all developmental policies, and universal access to good quality health care services without anyone having to face financial hardship as a consequence”.

A panel discussion will be conducted on the perspective of varied stakeholders like Insurance companies, Hospitals & Govt. of Maharashtra on “Ayushyaman Bharat”.

The chairperson for this panel discussion will be Mr. Dinesh Arora, Dy. CEO National Health Agency, (NHA), representative of Insurance companies will be Mr. Bhaskar Nerurkar, Head, Health Bajaj Allianz ltd, Pune, representative of hospital will be Dr. Ashutosh Raghuvanshi, Vice Chairman, Managing Director & Group CEO, Narayana Health & spokesperson from Govt. of Maharashtra will be Mr. Jayant Kumar Banthia, Former Chief Secretary, Govt. of Maharashtra.

Dr. Simmardeep Singh Gill, Group COO CK Birla Group, Kolkata will shed the light upon the importance of leadership skills for healthcare professionals. He will explain how individual development, including communication skills, coaching, mentoring, negotiation, and motivation theory, works within a leadership role.

Mr. Sanjay Singh Nirwan, Healthcare Communication & Digital Strategist, Media Medic Communications, Mumbai will speak on the Digital Healthcare Advocacy. Digital technology has greatly contributed to improvements in patient care and monitoring, as well as patient communication with primary caregivers, general practitioners, and specialists. The digital world has revolutionized the accessibility of health information for people across the globe. Patients no longer must wait for doctors’ appointments to begin their diagnosis process.

Some of the other eminent national speakers include – Mr. Abhishek Agarwal, MD Strategy, MERCK, Mumbai. Mr. Badri Iyenger, MD, South Asia, Smith & Nephew HC Pvt Ltd. Mr. Vidhi Prasad K V, Head, Image Guided System, Wipro GE South Asia. Dr. Anirudha Malpani, Director & Founder, Malpani Ventures, Mumbai. Dr. Raman Gangakhedkar, Scientist G & Director-in-Charge, National AIDS Research Institute, Pune. Mr. Lalit Mistry, Director of Healthcare, KPMG. Mr. Kumar Krishnaswamy, Group Head- HR, Medwell Ventures. Dr. Col. Ajay Gangoli, Group Medical Director, Apollo Health & Lifestyle Ltd. Mr. HSD Srinivas, Head Health Portfolio Tata Trust, Mumbai. Prof. (Dr). Sudhir Kumar Satpathy, Director, School of Public Health, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology Deemed to be University, Bhubaneshwar. Ms. Nishi Saini, Head- North, Clove Dental Clinics, New Delhi. Dr. Avinash Phadke, President, Technical & Mentor, SRL, Diagnostics, Mumbai. Dr. Clive Fernandes, Group Clinical Director, Wockhardt Group of Hospitals, Mumbai. Dr. Sanjay Gupte, Medico-Legal Expert, Pune. The valedictory ceremony will be held on April 20, 2019. Dr. Deelip Mhaisekar, Vice-chancellor, Maharashtra University of Health Sciences will grace the occasion as Guest of Honor. The session will be presided by Dr. S. B. Mujumdar, Chancellor, Symbiosis International (Deemed University).

SYMHEALTH 2019 will continue to bet on increasing the presence of organizations, exhibitors and visitors from around the nation to keep on generating synergies, sharing knowledge, provoking discussion, reflection and inspiring new actions. It will encourage all the stakeholders to expand their knowledge horizon as well as to forge collaborative networks across disciplines and professions. The attendees will benefit enormously from the event.

We hope that you will join us in, what promises to be, a ‘must attend’ event!
For Registration and further queries please contact: (+91) 88888-92258
Email: symhealthregistration@siu.edu.in,
For more details visit: www.symhealth.edu.in

Dr. Rajiv Yeravdekar
Dean, Faculty of Health & Biomedical Sciences, SIU

Read Press Release: SYMHEALTH 2019

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Digital Safety Plan for Children

InnoHEALTH Magazine — Thu, 23 Aug 2018 07:06:31 +0000

A digital safety plan for children being leveraged; zero tolerance towards violence against children need of the hour.

Fresh from her experience in managing emergency situations, Dr. Yasmin Ali Haque smilingly handles the tsunami of problems as UNICEF’s Representative in India, lying next to her home Bangladesh.

She says UNICEF is working closely with the government in developing a comprehensive plan on digital safety for children. Digital literacy is key to ensuring that all boys and all girls stay informed, engaged and safe online. There is a need to galvanize the ‘zero tolerance’ towards violence against children. In a detailed interview to InnoHEALTH magazine, she answered a wide range of questions and elaborated at length, UNICEF’s programmes in India where the safety of children is emerging as a major concern.

Dr. Yasmin had joined as the UNICEF Representative in India in July last year and prior to that, she was Deputy Director of UNICEF’s Office of Emergency Operations where she played a leading role in the programming and policies for an effective UNICEF response for children in humanitarian crisis. She started her career in UNICEF in 1996 and held many appointments in challenging situations.

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Q. UNICEF is guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and strives to establish children’s rights as enduring ethical principles and international standards of behavior towards children. UNICEF responds in emergencies to protect the rights of children. What are your views are the steps that can be taken to protect children from violence and to ensure their safety?

One important facet of the rights of CRC is to ensure that children grow in a protective and safe environment, free of any kind of violence and abuse. Preventing and responding to sexual violence requires strong collaboration among stakeholders from diverse walks of life. UNICEF is committed to working with the government, civil society organizations, corporates, media and all the other stakeholders to support society and families to ensure that children are safe and free from abuse and exploitation. Guided by the CRC, it is imperative to act now to break the cycle of violence against children and protect survivors of violence.

In recent years, India has made significant progress in addressing sexual abuse against children by having enacted legislation and acted on a large number of cases. The public has also become increasingly aware of sexual abuse cases that may have gone unnoticed years ago due to an increase in reporting on the issue. Digital media and immediate reporting have also contributed to this awareness. Still, a lot more needs to be done. Building on these positive developments, UNICEF collaborates with partners to enhance awareness of children and parents by focussing on the following stakeholders:

Teachers and school authorities: Sexual violence in schools is a major area of concern. Schools should provide information on safety to children and online safety guidelines can be included in the curriculum. Schools also need to ensure that teachers are aware of the provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.
Children: Child-led initiatives empower children to become advocates of change, voice their demands and take leadership in the change itself. Listening to children is also key as they can become vital stakeholders in their own safety. Decisionmakers, including parents and teachers, should listen to children so that their views can be incorporated into policies.
Civil society organizations, including faith-based and community-based organizations, can engage consistently with the communities and share with them important information around the need to protect children from any kind of violence and abuse and co-create local solutions.
Media, both traditional and digital, plays a vital role in disseminating information, mobilizing public opinion and building a discourse around the issue of child safety. Effective use of digital technology for creating further awareness on child safety is another platform that is being leveraged. We need to ensure that all children, every girl, and boy, no matter where they live or what their background is, benefit from the learning opportunities and connectivity that the digital world can provide. However, along with the benefits that digital technology provides, it has also put young people at risk of harm online, including abuse, exploitation, trafficking and cyberbullying.

Q. UNICEF has recently launched a report called ‘Every Child ALIVE’ focusing on the number of newborn deaths in the country. Has India made any progress in curbing the under-five mortality?

India has shown 66% reduction in the under-five mortality rate between 1990 and 2015, nearly meeting its Millennium Development Goal 4 target. This is much higher than the global decline of 55% during the same period. This progress has been due to a holistic approach to health programming for children. However, the progress has been slower for new-borns and has also been inequitable between boys and girls, with the under-five mortality rate for girls currently being 11% higher, at 41 per 1000 as against 37 per 1000 for boys.

Q. Why are more girls dying in India than boys?

Girls have the advantage of being biologically stronger, yet sadly they are extremely vulnerable socially. The discrimination begins even before they are born. Though the gender gap has started shrinking due to the fast decline of mortality for girls as compared to boys in the recent years, the gap still remains high in many states. The neglect of the girl child is a much broader issue and needs interventions beyond health to address the social norms and cultural practices that act as barriers to bridging the gender gap. It will require working at both the policy level for creating an enabling environment. And at the community level, to build awareness and bring emphasis to the value of the girl child. It will also need increased investments in the availability of gender-disaggregated data for more informed planning.

Q. Please share with us some details about the immunization campaign in India.

Immunisation is one of the most cost-effective public health interventions that currently averts an estimated 2 to 3 million child deaths globally every year. India has one of the largest immunization programmes in the world, in terms of a number of beneficiaries, geographical coverage, and quantities of vaccines used, with nearly 26 million new-borns targeted for immunization annually. However, despite this effort, only 65% of the children in India receive full immunization during the first year of their life.

This translates to 9 million children not fully protected against preventable diseases such as Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Measles and Preventable pneumonia. To address this issue, Government of India, with the support of UNICEF, WHO, and other partners, has launched Mission Indradhanush to achieve 90% immunization coverage by the end of 2018. UNICEF is also supporting the government for the strategic communication activities on immunization, in order to create further awareness on the need for complete immunization as well as create a discourse on the value of vaccines.

Q. What is the Measles-Rubella Vaccine Campaign and why do we need it?

The Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccine has been introduced as part of the Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP) in India to protect children from two diseases, Measles and Rubella, which have high mortality and morbidity respectively. Measles is one of the leading causes of death among young children. It is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus and spreads by coughing and sneezing. It reduces the immunity of the child, making a child vulnerable to life-threatening complications such as pneumonia, diarrhea and infection in the brain. Hence, the burden of diarrhea and pneumonia can also be indirectly reduced by eliminating Measles.

Rubella, although a mild viral illness, can lead to serious consequences if pregnant women are infected during early pregnancy. It can result in miscarriages, stillbirths and a set of congenital anomalies in the foetus and new-borns known as Congenital Rubella Syndrome (CRS), which is a cause of public health concern. CRS is characterized by multiple defects, particularly affecting the eyes (glaucoma, cataract), ears (hearing loss), brain (microcephaly, mental retardation) and heart defects – many of which are lifelong disabilities, requiring treatment, surgeries and other expensive care throughout life. Hence, it is important to eliminate these diseases. The MR vaccine is provided free of cost under the campaign.

Q. What is the burden of Measles-Rubella in India and globally?

According to WHO estimates, an estimated 1.34 lakh deaths were caused globally by Measles in 2015. Measles and related complications killed an estimated 49,200 children in 2015 in India, contributing nearly 36% to the global figures. An estimated 84% of the global decline in Measles deaths from 2000 to 2016 was due to Measles vaccination. In 2010, an estimated 1.03 lakh children were born with Congenital Rubella Syndrome (CRS) globally, of which an estimated 40,000 children were born with CRS in India.

The Government of India has resolved to eliminate Measles and control Rubella. The Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccination campaign is an important step in that direction. Measles immunization directly contributes to the reduction of under-five child mortality. UNICEF is a key partner in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s rollout of the ongoing Measles-Rubella Vaccination Campaign, which is now in its third phase and has vaccinated 7.7 crore children in 16 states till date (3 April 2018). The MR Campaign targets around 41 crore children, making it one of the largest ever immunization campaign of its kind. It aims to eliminate Measles and control Rubella by 2020. The vaccine has already been rolled out in several states and will soon be launched in Assam, Haryana, and Punjab.

Q. How safe is the Measles-Rubella vaccine?

The Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccine is a safe and cost-effective vaccine that has been available for the past 40 years. The presently used vaccine is a WHO-prequalified vaccine and is licensed by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization of India. As many as 165 WHO member countries provide Measles second dose in their national immunization programme. The Rubella vaccine has been introduced in 159 countries. India, along with 10 other member countries of South East Asia region of WHO, has resolved to eliminate Measles and control Rubella and Congenital Rubella Syndrome (CRS) by 2020.

The surveillance of Adverse Events Following Immunisation (AEFI) is an integral part of the MR vaccination campaign. AEFI management kit is provided at all vaccination session sites including schools so that immediate response can be initiated following an AEFI.

The Government of India has recently amended AEFI management protocol. Now Adrenalin injection is part of each AEFI kit, which is life-saving in case of anaphylaxis. Both public and private sector medical practitioners and health workers are trained prior to MR campaign to handle such adverse events.

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Philips lighting research on eyesight

InnoHEALTH Magazine — Mon, 09 Apr 2018 07:06:58 +0000

Philips Lighting (Euronext Amsterdam ticker: LIGHT), the world leader lighting, has released findings that reveal that almost two third of Indians agree that poor light quality is detrimental to eyesight but just one fifth (21%) will actually take corrective measures such as buying light bulbs that are comfortable for their eyes. The survey also highlighted that for most Indians, eyecare is not treated at par with skincare and other health issues such as managing one’s weight and fitness levels.

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In Mumbai, durability of the bulb emerged as the highest priority while making purchase decision for light bulbs, with almost 47% of adults choosing it over other factors like price and eye comfort. While 49% of adults in the city agree that light quality affects eyesight, only 21% will opt for lighting that is comfortable for their eyes. The study conducted amongst 9,000 adults across twelve countries including India, also revealed uncomfortably entrenched mindsets with about half of the Indian population compromising on their eyesight by prioritising price (50%) and durability (48%) of bulbs over eye comfort, while making purchase decisions for light bulbs.

The situation is quite alarming considering the invasion of digital technology in our lives translating into longer screen exposure times, with almost 70% of Indians surveyed spending more than 6 hours a day in front of a screen and a similar number complaining of eyestrain! This also comes at a time as myopia hits record levels globally, with the World Health Organization predicting that one in two people will be short sighted by 2050, a vision emergency of sorts, in the not too distant future!

Ophthalmologists understand the gravity of the situation and are pulling out all stops to sensitise the general population to step up on their eye care quotient. They highlight a continued need to educate the public about eye care. In response to this situation the All India Ophthalmological Society has developed a number of proactive community oriented programs, guidelines and resources to enhance ophthalmic education amongst the public. The study of over 9,000 adults across twelve countries – India, China, USA, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Indonesia, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Thailand and Turkey – becomes even more relevant given the dire situation. It was commissioned to explore how quality LED lighting can help ameliorate the eye comfort problem amongst consumers. As per the findings of the study, 44% of Indians don’t visit an eye specialist on a regular basis while about three fourths on an average use weight (73%) and fitness (60%) as overall indicators of health. Clearly, eye care does not rank at par with other perceived health metrics. Quality lighting is not only related to longevity, but is also incredibly important when it comes to ensuring our eyes aren’t strained and feel comfortable. people should choose high quality lamps that are comfortable for their eyes.

PHILIPS LIGHTING RESEARCH

• While 49% adults in Mumbai agree that light quality affects their eye sight, only one in five (21%) will opt for lighting that is comfortable for their eyes

• Almost half of adults in Mumbai consider durability (47%) and price (45%) of bulbs over comfort for their eyes, while making purchase decisions

• More than half (53%) of adults in the city don’t regularly get their eyes checked; eye care does not rank at par with other perceived health metrics such as managing weight, fitness levels and skin care

Want to write for InnoHEALTH? send us your article at magazine@innovatiocuris.com

Read all the issues of InnoHEALTH magazine:
InnoHEALTH Volume 1 Issue 1 (July to September 2016) – https://goo.gl/iWAwN2
InnoHEALTH Volume 1 Issue 2 (October to December 2016) – https://goo.gl/4GGMJz
InnoHEALTH Volume 2 Issue 1 (January to March 2017) – https://goo.gl/DEyKnw
InnoHEALTH Volume 2 Issue 2 (April to June 2017) – https://goo.gl/Nv3eev
InnoHEALTH Volume 2 Issue 3 (July to September 2017) – https://goo.gl/MCVjd6
InnoHEALTH Volume 2 Issue 4 (October to December 2017) – http://amzn.to/2B2UMLw
InnoHEALTH Volume 3 Issue 1 (January to March 2018) – https://goo.gl/fksdQx

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Digital health: Giving birth to new delivery models and fostering innovations

InnoHEALTH Magazine — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 05:59:00 +0000

International panelists discuss at length the need for standardization and effective implementation of these standards in the country – if any

Keynote Address: Sandipan Gangopadhyay
Moderator: Dr. Oomen John
Panelists:
• Dheeraj Misra
• Kausik Bhattacharya
• Dr. Dayaprasad G Kulkarni
• MariliaCavaco
• Reggie George
• Srinivas Peri
• Dr. Rahil Qamar Siddiqui

Innovations will remain the spine of modern health and medical facilities, but regulations, standardization will be the need of the hour as India strides towards improving health standards with innovations and innovative approach.

Initiating discussion on this topical subject, Sandipan Gangopadhyay of GalaxE from the US said, “E-Health is the need of the time and you need quality data to implement it. Collating data in a country with 1.3 billion people should not be a concern, but it’s a challenge. Once you gather data, the challenge shifts towards protection of data, exploitation of data and mismanagement of data. These are common challenges all over the world and will be faced in India more so due its complex demographics.”

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Extending his keynote address on the subject, he added, “As we learn about solutions adopted in different countries, India should take advantage of that and adapt those solutions to avoid mistakes and complications associated with handling large data. Adhaar, the hottest thing in India, seems to be the most suitable solution for various things, including health and medical facilities.

“Simply identifying standardization isn’t the solution for enhancing the health and medical industry, but implementation of the same, with international partnership at the government and private/public sector will definitely induce transparency and invite every player to join hands and work together towards a healthy society.”

His inquisitive approach uncovered some very relevant and important notions on the subject. Kausik Bhattacharya from Johnson & Johnson highlighted the technological advantage at the corporate level as he spelled out the dependence on Cloud Technology. Explaining the term he said that “Cloud technology may not be new, but its disrupting the way things are happening or will happen in future in the field of health and medical facilities.”

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Elaborating on the subject, he added that Cloud is giving rise to a completely new set of delivery models, which are trying to make it more agile or faster in terms of converting ideas into a product of service that will ultimately help the doctors, nurses and also the patients. The biggest advantage of cloud technology is its potential to implement scalability. Cloud technology can also help in connecting different technologies and evolve into complete solutions.

Marilia Cavaco, also from John & Johnson, highlighted other aspects of J&J that makes them one of the global leaders in the health sector.

“At Johnson & Johnson we touch over a billion lives on a daily basis with our products, medications and services. Since we touch so many lives it’s imperative for us to maintain safety and hygiene as the top concern in our operations. That being our ground standard, we have made investments into artificial intelligence and machine learning and have been getting very encouraging support from our partners at FDA in the US,“ said Ms. Cavaco.

Mr. Misra, asked some penetrating questions of Dr. Dayaprasad G Kulkarni regarding the ever-important subject of transparency. In response, Dr. Kulkarni said, “The current efforts of the government to digitalize India and services in India are contributing to inducing transparency and also democraticize and cut down on the seepage of sources, which is a huge problem in both private and public sectors. Next step is for us to engage in these facilities and platforms and take advantage of this transparency.”

“WHO’s Global Digital Health Index is another good tool to bring transparency at international level and will provide a standard platform of digitization. This is an index that looks at tracking, monitoring, evaluating and scoring the use of digital technology that will help bring all the players at one unified level.”

On the home front, Dr. Rahil Qamar Siddiqui, Founder of Eventus, brought to everyone’s attention that standardization is available in the country and how it’s helping to spell out the health policy and also keep the industry under control.

“There are EHR standards in India; it’s unfortunate though that not many in the industry know about it. In addition to the Bureau of Indian Standards the ministry is also involved in setting a lot of standards in India. Ministry of Health Holding (MOHH) has in fact published a document spelling out HER standards for India,” clarified Dr. Siddiqui.

“So there’s a standard for vendors to apply for even though there’s no accreditation body – yet. In fact, there are standards in various fields and segments of health sector that Government of India has compiled, to be used within India and opportunities like this (InnoHEALTH) help us to educate the public at large,” concluded Dr. Siddiqui.

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“Health care is focusing only on hospitals, hospitals and only hospitals. However we do not have to limit our innovations to hospitals only. The corporate culture of hospitals today leaves lot more to be innovated in the hospital management and processes and I believe that innovations in this field will contribute to better health and much better health facilities for all.”

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[vc_cta h2=”Dr Mukesh Taneja”]

“According to World Health Organization’s 2010 data 285 million people are visually impaired; 90 percent of these are in the developing world; and 80 percent of these are preventable; And speaking of India, 70 percent of the population lives in rural areas, however 90 percent of the medical facilities are located in urban areas. So there’s a huge gap between the care providers and the population who they should be reaching.”

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[vc_cta h2=”Dr Santanu Biswas”]

“If you are to work on remote distance technology, you can not work in isolation, You choose partners in technology, data procurement and delivery system. This means your dependence on your partners is even more critical as you depend on their credibility, technical compatibility and similar intentions. This is the reason that even though we have been talking about the digital health and e-health; but other than the fact that its been a buzzword for the last 15 years, it has not become a well charted module.”

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