The forum highlighted the need of forward-looking policies and a proactive government to play a role in the development of smart cities & villages on the bedrock of JAM Trinity which has 1bn bank accounts (Jan Dhan) + 1bn Aadhaar + 1bn mobile broadband users, already organized for the technological revolution in this space, thus, Capitalizing the connected World with the help of modern & niche technologies like 5G, GIS, IoT, m2m and others. Likewise, the governments effort to connect 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats with BharatNet project was discussed to leverage the smart villages concept in India.

5G vision for India was also one of the major highlights of the 2-day forum, as 5G technology has the potential for ushering a major societal transformation in India by enabling a rapid expansion of the role of information technology across manufacturing, education, healthcare, agriculture, finance and social sectors. The panelists voiced that India must embrace this opportunity by deploying 5G networks early, efficiently, and pervasively as well as emerge as a significant innovator and technology supplier at the global level. Emphasis should be placed on 5G touching the lives of rural and weaker economic segments so as to make it a truly inclusive technology.

Ms. Aruna Sundararajan, Honorable Secretary, Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications, Government of India via her message highlighted, “A city is a complex system, involving many different domains, infrastructure, organizations and activity which need to be integrated for that city to emerge as a smart city. Standardisation forms a critical part of the work that needs to be done. Being smart cities, a new holistic and cross functional standardization approach is needed, breaking the old ‘vertical silos’ approach, through better cooperation and synergies.”

“While the cities of India are fast progressing towards digitalization, it is encouraging to note that digital solutions are being readily accepted amongst the rural population of India as well. To support this technology adoption, the Department of Telecommunications (DOT), Ministry of Communications, Government of India, has initiated projects to provide broadband connectivity for connecting various digital services and solutions across our Urban and Rural Landscapes”, added Ms. Sundarajan.

Elated about the forum Mr. Kunal Kumar, Joint Secretary (Mission Director – Smart Cities), Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs stated, “The forum can make noteworthy contributions to the Smart City Program at large. By sharing and collaborating on topics such as technology, multi-country experiences and innovative approaches, I am sure that we can bring together the best minds, and the surest hands to co-create cities of the future.”

The attraction of the forum was, NOT TO BE MISSED ‘Technology Show – by FIWARE Foundation member companies namely – NEC Technology India, APInf, MobilePedia and Smart Cities Lab Ltd where they demonstrated the OPEN SOURCE PLATFORM designed and developed by the FIWARE FOUNDATION– a market- ready open source software, combining components that enable the connection to IoT with Context Information Management and Big Data services in the Cloud.

The forum also hosted a dedicated session on 'India-EU Dialogue on ICT for Smart Cities' which was organized by the prestigious project, namely, ‘India-EU ICT Collaboration Standardization’ of the Delegation of European Union to India, highlighting the absolute need for ‘Leveraging Standards for Smart Cities’, which brought together key stakeholders and smart city officials.

Participants from across the globe got the opportunity to meet Stellapps Technologies – an end-to-end dairy technology solutions company – the first of its kind in India, Sensorise – an IOT Services and Solutions company, Phoenix Robotix – a network-IoT and Big data company, Sensable – an IoT company offering end-to- end smart solutions using artificial intelligence and machine learning, C-DOT – an autonomous Telecom R&D Centre of Department of Telecommunications (DOT), Government of India – showcasing Common Service Platform for m2m communications on oneM2M Specifications.

“We appreciate the participation from our key partners, showing trust in the forum and the vision it stands for. The key speakers, thought leaders and industry leaders have made this forum a thought provoking one with dialogs on disruption these modern technologies can bring to make cities & villages smarter, and at the same time, mentoring the startups in this segment. We are proud to have EU partners to share their insight on business possibilities from across the globe. Thus, making the 6 th edition of this forum a success” concluded Ms. Shilpi Batra, Director, India m2m + iot Forum 2019

About India m2m+ iot Forum

India m2m + iot Forum is a cohesive and shared platform, which validates united and collective vision of the global m2m and iot ecosystem. It is the most awaited annual congregation of m2m + iot stakeholders representing the entire ecosystem comprising of academics, analysts and researchers, enterprises and industry, governments – policymakers and regulators, industry associations and organizations, media organizations, standards organizations, the student’s community and above all the end users from businesses, citizen services and government.

For more information, contact:
Pratik Baurai
E-mail: pratik@saintsart.in
Mobile: 9871006258

Sonali Shyam
E-mail: sonali.shyam@saintsart.in
Mobile: 9891820253

There are several innovations happened in healthcare delivery. Some of these are given below (figure 1):

• Product innovation
• Process Innovation
• Service design Innovation
• Service delivery Innovation
• Business model Innovation
Innovations in healthcare improves adaptation and affordability.

Product Innovation is concerned with introduction of new types of goods and services for the external markets. This includes significant improvements in technical specifications, components and materials, software, user friendliness or other functional characteristics. Examples include wearable devices, portable ECG of GE, Intra Ocular lens of Aravind Eye Hospital, Jaipur foot etc. These innovations help in generating incremental revenues [2]. Some of the main products include patient monitoring devices, home care and health and fitness. Wearable devices market is growing at the rate of 4.8% on year-on-year growth [3].

Process Innovation is mainly implementation of a new or significantly improved production or delivery method. This includes significant changes in techniques, equipment and/or software. These innovations help in improving internal capabilities and quality improvement [2]. Some of the examples include use of computerisation of medical records, improvement in the use of medical equipment like in Aravind Eye Hospital where surgical equipment is being used for two tables.

Service Design Innovation mainly focus on design of man-machine system compatibility including customisation of devices and its functioning. For example, customising the pulse rate of pacemaker implanted to a patient. Examples include telemedicine, mobile healthcare units, small clinics in the vicinity of patients, collaboration with other stakeholders etc. Figure 3 shows

Service Delivery Innovation include the use of new methods in delivering the service and helps in cost reduction as well as turnaround time of care delivery. This include innovation in medication, surgical interventions, procedure etc.

For example, use of iphone for taking picture of eye and checking for preliminary diagnosis in place of a computer or other equipment. MRI, CT Scan, Cataract surgery etc. Figure 4 shows arrangement of eye check-up equipment on a two wheeler which can reach to the location where four wheeler mobile unit cannot reach.

Apart from these four innovations, one of the most important one is business model innovation. This is mainly focuses on number of alternatives and pricing of products and services. Examples include offering two or three options for surgical services along with other support services like room with air conditioner or without air conditioner etc. Providing enough number of winning alternatives refers to business model innovation.

Diffusion of innovations in healthcare requires acceptance of innovations by the different stakeholders mainly the care receivers (patients), care givers (doctors and others). This requires alignment of knowledge, technology and institutionalisation of practices. Innovations in healthcare helps government to provide conducive environment for innovation and collaboration opportunity between public and private organisations. Facilitate in implementing healthcare initiatives in large scale by optimising resources and their deployment.

References:

1. S rivastava S C and Shainesh G (2015), Bridging the service divide through digitally enabled service innovations: Evidence from Indian Healthcare service providers, MIS Quarterly, Vol 39(1), pp: 245-267.

2. O machonu V K and Einspruch N G (2010), Innovations in Healthcare delivery systems: A conceptual framework, The Innovation Journal: the public sector innovation journal, vol. 15(1), pp: 1-20.

3. http://www.todaysmedicaldevelopments.com/article/wearable-medical-devices-2016-market-72816/
https://www.innovation.cc/scholarly-style/omachonu_ healthcare _3innovate2.pdf

About the author

S Venkat is an Associate Professor in Operations Management at IIM Lucknow, India. His interests include healthcare operations management, affordable healthcare design for bottom of the pyramid consumers, Managing operations in religious organisations etc.

Q1. What is the prime objective of the institute you are leading: Australian Institute of Health Innovations?

The Australian Institute of Health Innovation (AIHI) at Macquarie University conducts world-class research with national and international research communities, governments, policymakers, providers of health services, managers, clinicians, patients and the community. Our work underpins health reforms and systems improvement, providing new tools, perspectives and evidence to help stakeholders who are interested in making the health system more effective, efficient and productive. Our overarching aim is to produce new, high-quality research evidence to support change, prevention and improvement.in the Australian health system, and internationally.

Q2. Could you share some of the achievements of the institute in the recent past?

As highlights of 2016, we are currently running over 77 different funded projects valued at almost $40 million, and participating in another 17 grants administered by other institutions worth a similar amount. Overall, we attracted new funding in 2016 valued in excess of $15 million. One notable milestone is that we secured the largest grant ever awarded to the Institute and the largest to Macquarie University in 2016: the NHMRC Partnership Centre in Health System Sustainability, valued at $10.75 million. In that project we are trying to create more sustainable systems of care.

Q 3. The contributions of the institute (and yours) limited to Australia or its implications are international? Can you elaborate on it with some examples?

In 2015 Professor Enrico Coiera won the highest international award for digital health—the IMIA Francois Gremy Award of Excellence. He is a highly influential commentator on national e-health strategies, advocating strongly for rational policy making based on sound evidence. His work has translated into policy and practice changes for e-health safety, multiple patented inventions, as well as for a US-based consumer e-health start-up company. He is author of one of the earliest textbooks on health informatics, which is widely used internationally, translated into multiple languages and now in its 3rd edition. Professor Coiera is the lead researcher, along with colleague Dr Annie Lau, of healthy.me, a personal health management system.

Professor Johanna Westbrook is an elected a Fellow of the American College of Medical Informatics (AC MI) – one of only four Australians. In 2014 she was named Australian ICT professional of the year by the Australian Information Industry Association for her research contributions. In 2015 she was appointed as an Associate Editor of the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association (JAMIA). She was also appointed Chair of the Deeble Institute Advisory Board by the Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association in 2015. The Institute has a major focus on driving evidence-based health policy. In 2016 Johanna was elected by members to the Sax Institute Board. In 2016, Professor Westbrook was appointed by the Federal Minister for Health to the Board of the Australian Digital Health Agency and chairs the national Digital Health Quality and Safety Governance Committee.

Our landmark CareTrack Australia study revealed, in 2012, Australians receive “appropriate” healthcare in only 57 percent of consultations. A follow-up study to CareTrack Australia, “CareTrack Kids” will, for the first time, determine the percentage of healthcare encounters at which Australian children receive evidence- and consensus-based care for 16 paediatric conditions and examine the frequency and types of adverse events involving Australian children. We aim to deliver a range of important outcomes in this highly significant and overdue research. Led by Professor Jeffrey Braithwaite and Peter Hibbert, this research stream is building on CareTrack Australia’s findings to pilot new approaches to clinical standards and to explore digital platforms for their delivery. This stream aims to provide a new evidence base to reduce healthcare costs and improve care by helping clinicians deliver the right care at the right time to the right patients.

The Work Observation Method by Activity Timing (WOMBAT ) developed by Institute staff led by Professor Westbrook, and now used by over 30 research teams around the world, has produced new opportunities to undertake international collaborative studies. This measures how care is delivered using a hand held device, looking at how clinical care actually takes place.

Q 4. Are there any biological/medicinal differences in the needs and concerns of original Aborigines in Australia and its broadly expat population?

Everyone deserves good care. Australia has been trying very hard in recent years to provide high quality services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islands populations. Many live in remote areas, and it has been hard to narrow the gap between the health status of those populations and other members of Australian society. Governments in Australia are making investments in this situation.

Q 5. What is your institute doing to address the needs and concerns of Australian Aborigines, who are genetically distant from the rest of the Australian expat population?

While this is not our area of expertise, we strongly support colleagues who do research on these populations. This is very important work. Most of our studies include a wide range of patient groups including those from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations.

Q 6. Can you highlight some of the achievements of the institute in Emotional Health sector since it invests a lot in resources in this field?

We are very interested in doing research with clinicians who are want to deliver the best care that resources permit to patients. We are also interested in ensuring that patients are involved in decisions about their care. We have done a great deal of work with both groups.

Q 7. What, according to you, are going to be the biggest challenges for Australia and the world for securing a healthy society and combat future medical challenges?

To my mind, three things are important. One is digital health: ensuring we get the greatest advantage from investments in future e-health and information systems. The second is patient safety and quality of care. It is critical that we make further inroads into keeping patients safe and improving the quality of their care. In particular, we need to understand when things go right as well as when things go wrong. Third, we need to build sustainable health systems: ones that are built to last, and flexible enough that they can cope with future changes and innovations.

Q 8. On personal front, where do you draw the line between medical marvels and miracles?

I don’t personally believe in miracles. I am very much appreciative, as a scientist, of the benefits to be gained by the application of evidence, science and technology to improve the health system for the benefit of our patients. This is the real marvel.I don’t personally believe in miracles. I am very much appreciative, as a scientist, of the benefits to be gained by the application of evidence, science and technology to improve the health system for the benefit of our patients. This is the real marvel.

Q 9. What are your expectations from the global medical community and what direction would you see governments and people should invest in?

In my next edited book, involving care delivered to patients in 60 countries, I found four things that were success factors in improving care. One is to start with a pilot program, and then scale it up. A second is the importance of having good data on which to base decisions about systems and care. A third is to ensure that multiple stakeholders are involved in complex improvement initiatives. And a fourth is that the benchmark for improvement must be the patient, rather than other stakeholders’ views on the care we need to provide.

Q 10. How do you see innovations of your country linked to Indian which is well known for frugal innovations, do you think some collaboration at working level to take it forward for benefit of both countries in view of two countries’ Prime Ministers have signed recently MoU of collaboration?

This is an excellent idea. India and Australia have many things to learn from each other, and have been friends for many years not just because of our shared interest in cricket and because of our ties as members of the Commonwealth. We are natural partners in ensuring a better health system for our respective countries, and teaching each other about innovative things we have done.

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