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Decision Making Tech

Research, Technology, and right decisions

Written by : Sumesh Raghwani on Digilah (Tech Thought Leadership)

Research and technology have had numerous benefits for society across various fields and aspects of life. Here are some keyways in which research and technology have positively impacted mankind:

 

    1. Improved Communication: Technological advancements such as the internet, mobile phones, and social media have revolutionized communication. People can now connect and communicate with each other globally in real time, enabling the exchange of information, ideas, and knowledge on a scale never seen before. This has facilitated collaboration, enhanced education, and fostered a sense of global community.

 

    • Healthcare Advancements: Research and technology have greatly improved healthcare outcomes. Medical research has led to the development of life-saving treatments, vaccines, and diagnostic tools. Advanced medical devices and imaging technologies have enabled early detection and precise treatment of diseases. Telemedicine has made healthcare more accessible, particularly for those in remote areas. Overall, research and technology have contributed to increased life expectancy and improved quality of life.

 

    • Enhancing Education: Technology has transformed the way we learn and access information. Online education platforms, digital libraries, and interactive educational tools have made learning more accessible and engaging. Students can access a wealth of knowledge and resources from anywhere, allowing for personalized and self-paced learning. Additionally, educational research has helped in developing effective teaching methodologies and curriculum enhancements.

 

    • Economic Growth: Technological advancements drive economic growth by fostering innovation and creating new industries and job opportunities. Research and development (R&D) initiatives lead to the discovery of new products, processes, and technologies, stimulating economic activity. Industries such as information technology, biotechnology, and renewable energy have emerged as a result of research and technological advancements, contributing to job creation and economic prosperity.

 

    • Environmental Sustainability: Research and technology have played a crucial role in addressing environmental challenges. Advancements in renewable energy technologies, such as solar and wind power, have helped reduce reliance on fossil fuels and mitigate climate change. Sustainable agricultural practices and efficient waste management systems have been developed through research, leading to more eco-friendly practices. Furthermore, scientific research has provided valuable insights into environmental conservation and biodiversity preservation.

 

    • Increased Accessibility and Inclusion: Technology has made significant strides in improving accessibility and inclusivity for individuals with disabilities. Assistive technologies, such as screen readers and mobility aids, have empowered people with disabilities to participate more fully in society. Moreover, research and technological innovations have led to the development of universal design principles that benefit everyone, regardless of their abilities.

 

    • Enhanced Transportation and Infrastructure: Research and technology have transformed transportation systems, making them safer, more efficient, and environmentally friendly. The development of electric vehicles, autonomous driving technologies, and high-speed rail systems has improved transportation options while reducing carbon emissions. Smart infrastructure, including intelligent transportation systems and sensor networks, has enhanced traffic management and optimized resource utilization.

These are just a few examples of how research and technology have benefited society. The continuous progress in these areas holds the potential for further positive impacts, addressing emerging challenges and improving the overall well-being of individuals and communities.

This research has also led to advancements in language understanding allowing me to grasp nuances, idioms, and specific domain knowledge more effectively.
Overall, the research and technology journey has been transformative to me, improving my performance, efficiency, user experience. As the journey continues, I look forward to further advancements that will enable me to continuously improve and adapt to better serve the needs.

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Med/Health Tech Mar Tech

How to Improve Your Virtual Consultations for Healthcare

Written by: Gunalan R on Digilah (Tech Thought Leadership)

The telehealth industry is expected to grow from US$26.4 billion in 2020 to $70.19 billion by 2026. 

At the onset of the pandemic, virtual visits to healthcare providers peaked. As the population ages and more people live longer with chronic conditions, the demand for telehealth services will continue to rise. 

Remote consulting allows patients – who might have mobility issues or live far from the clinic – to access medical services more easily and conveniently. It also enables doctors to provide more flexible and responsive care, which can be especially beneficial in the case of follow-up consultations.

Some will argue that remote consultations will never replace the in-person experience. This is where virtual consultations come in. 

Virtual consultations are a modern approach to delivering traditional face-to-face consultations. When implemented, they offer a secure digital healthcare service to your patients.

What is a virtual consultation

It allows patients from their houses to consult with a doctor online using live video conferencing, which results in more convenient and cost-effective care for both parties

Two-way high-definition (HD) video conferencing has paved the way for more types of virtual visits than ever before. Advisors can now engage with patients via this technology, which allows them to access a new range of treatment possibilities from any location–using a smartphone, tablet, or desktop

A virtual consultation is also an effective tool for follow-up consultations between patients and their doctors after they’ve been discharged from the hospital or clinic.

We have seen practices establishing virtual health clinics with a full suite of diagnostic tools and secure video conferencing technology. 

This allows the continuity and flexibility of best care without sacrificing the quality of that care and the patient experience. 

Improving health services with virtual consultations

Let’s discover some of the best features that make virtual consultations an excellent tool for delivering healthcare.

    1. Easy to use

A virtual consultation must be simple to join and a user-friendly tool. It allows patients to connect with their doctors from their homes or any location, using a smartphone or computer. The process must be quick, easy to follow, and not require any technical support. 

    1. High-quality video and audio

The quality of the video and audio is key to a successful virtual consultation. For doctors and patients to have a productive session, they must be able to see each other’s faces and hear each other’s voices clearly, with no delay in transmission. This is where carrier-grade services come into play. 

Carrier-grade services are dedicated and specialized networks that deliver high-quality voice and video with minimal delay. The standard for this kind of service is the ability to deliver 99.95% uptime. 

They are designed to ensure a consistent experience for both parties in all environments, including remote locations such as rural communities where there may be limited or no access to other forms of communication infrastructure.

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    1. SMS notifications

Text messages are often more effective ways to communicate with patients than emails. This is often the case of reminding them of upcoming appointments or medication. 

The ability to send text messages to their mobile phones is a very useful feature that can help streamline your practice’s workflow and improve patient satisfaction. 

SMS notifications can be used for many things including appointment reminders and schedules, prescription refills, disease management programs, and more. It’s also an easy way to communicate with patients who don’t have email access or prefer not to use it.

A recent study shows that text messages receive a 90% engagement rate and help patients feel more connected to healthcare teams.

In addition, call links or live chat can be included in text messages. This function allows patients to click a link in the message to connect with their advisors in real time. 

    1. Unified workspace

Combine all channels and networks in a virtual space where your team can collaborate in real-time on any device. It’s an environment that fosters patient care and empowers staff to work together seamlessly across different locations, making it possible for them to stay connected no matter how far apart they are. 

A unified workspace brings together all of the tools you need—like scheduling, messaging, file sharing, video and call conferencing, and more—into one place so everyone has access to the information they need at any given time.

It’s an easy way to connect with patients while maintaining high levels of security and privacy. 

    1. Virtual numbers

Virtual numbers provide a convenient way to connect with patients, no matter where they are. Whether you’re a local clinic serving your community or a multidisciplinary clinic with international patients, virtual numbers can be answered on any device and will always forward to the correct location.

    1. Data security

Keeping patient data secure is one of the biggest challenges for healthcare providers.

Healthcare organizations are required to comply with HIPAA regulations that govern the protection of patient health information, which includes ensuring that all data is encrypted and stored in a secure environment.

To protect your data, consider using platforms that offer encryption, backup and recovery, GDPR compliance, and relevant industry standards. In the age of data breaches and hacking, it’s paramount to have a secure way to communicate with patients.

Benefits of online consultations

Virtual consultations offer health services the chance to diversify the ways they interact with their patients. 

In today’s world, convenience is key. This concept unsurprisingly applies to healthcare with 74% of patients preferring easy access to services over in-person interactions with providers.

Advantages for patients

Online triage, psychiatry, and therapy offer an improved level of healthcare to vulnerable groups, including the elderly and disabled. Patients are not required to leave their comfort zones and can feel more at ease during the consultation, enabling better diagnosis.

Advantages for doctors

Increasing the efficiency of care delivery and reducing the costs of transporting patients between medical care facilities. 

The use of virtual consultations can also help doctors manage their workloads, reduce their mental stress, and improve their work-life balance.

A growing trend in virtual healthcare consultations

Virtual consultations in healthcare are a permanent part of the medical landscape, and they are here to stay. 

They offer patients access to a wider range of healthcare providers than ever before and allow providers to extend their reach into areas where they have previously struggled to establish a presence.

Communication technologies have become an essential part of most people’s daily lives, but until recently they have not been widely used in health care. A secure and user-friendly installation with audio and video clarity is crucial for virtual health.

The implementation of remote consultations is not meant to replace in-person consultations but to improve the overall doctor-patient journey.

Leverage the power of a unified CX and EX solution to create a truly connected, intuitive, and immersive experience. To learn more about CINNOXrequest for a demo or sign up for a free trial.

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Med/Health Tech

The Story of Love and Faith, Touching Lives with Tech where it Matters

Written by : Arunoday Singh on Digilah (Tech Thought Leadership)

“We used to travel several kilometres for basic medical facilities, and many times lost precious time at work and our wages but this medical Van which comes to our village now has proved to be a boon,” says Damyanti Devi as she deftly embroiders beautiful patterns on a shawl she is working on at the cottage industry she works.

“My husband had undiagnosed diabetes which was posing many health issues for him making him miss work, making it difficult for us to make ends meet”, adds Veena who works at the same place, “The doctors who talks through the ‘Television’ at the van in consultation with Para-medical staff on the van which reports the vitals to the doctor and explains the medicine & treatment to the patients, not only diagnosed it but have also treated it effectively and now he is leading a normal life and goes to work regularly”.

This is a heart whelming story of many in these rural areas of Jammu and Kashmir. Set in the interiors of the region, the villagers had to travel long distances to avail themselves of medical care. But the mobile medical Van by O-health, fully equipped with telemedicine facilities has changed the lives of people in these remote villages.

Changing Lives and Landscapes

Srinath, a construction worker who hails from Bihar, is working in the Kathua district of J&K, beams at us when we asked him about what he thinks about the facility. He has just finished his teleconsultation with a specialist in Delhi. He says he was suffering from fatigue and restlessness for many months but after this ‘Doctor Wali Van’ (Van with Doctor) started coming, his BP was diagnosed, and he is now well with regular medication and checkups. He says that with this Van people can avail affordable health care almost at their doorstep.

The telemedicine service provides the facility of Tele-Consultation with India’s Top qualified doctors and specialists who provide evidence-based care and boasts of having done over 8000 consultations till date. The state-of-the-art telemedicine facility by O-health has the facility to conduct clinical tests and supply medicines to people who are living in remote areas.

The Man Behind the Mission

Visioned and conceptualised by Arunoday Singh, a Biomedical Engineer with an MBA and MSc in Health Economics from the London School of Economics, O-Health is born out of Arunoday’s vision to bring accessible and affordable quality healthcare to rural India and take the best of medical facilities to the patients at the farthest of villages, in J&K, some of which are merely 01 km from Indo-Pak border, with Pak army posts clearly visible from camp sites.

Arunoday Singh has strived to serve the rural population of the country in a way that could bring a major positive change in their lives. Thus, in the process of striving to provide universal access to primary healthcare, he came up with the idea of this telemedicine Van, equipped with the best of diagnostic, pharma and speciality care which has now fast become the ‘Saviour’ for the rural population in these remote villages of the region.

“There is no denying that, unlike in olden times, there is much better road connectivity to rural areas these days but still these places continue to face the paucity and lack of good medical facilities and doctors at par with towns and cities. Most doctors wish to set up their practices in bigger towns and cities after having dedicated many years of their lives studying, but many of them also wish to serve the marginalized section of the society in some way” Arunoday said. “With the fast improving internet connectivity in the villages, digital healthcare can really make a powerful change in the healthcare landscape of rural India”, he added. 

This telemedicine facility on wheels allows O-Health access to the patients in the far-flung rural areas, without having to compromise their careers.

 “The main motive of the project is to extend healthcare facilities to the needy at their doorstep,” says the staff we met in the van, which is like a mini-hospital on wheels with all the facilities of a good clinic put together comprehensively.

The Challenge and the Solution

Rural patients are seen to be somewhat averse to new technologies, especially in healthcare, due to some of the reasons – paucity of awareness and knowledge about the technology, lack of trust on the individuals running the services and inefficient ways of care delivery leading to ineffective treatment outcomes. “It is critical to send an accurate patient parameter feedback to the remote doctor for a correct diagnosis, otherwise the treatment remains incomplete and hence, leaves the patient ill. We use high fidelity digital health devices like digital stethoscope, digital otoscope, digital derma-scope, etc to capture the parameters and images, to be shared with the specialist for accurate diagnosis leading to an effective treatment. When patients start feeling better after consultation, their level of trust on the technology shoots up”, said Arunoday.

Wheels of Change

Soon, O-Health also aims to setup a larger mobile van to cater to other remote areas with even more health services as well as plans to pilot a static clinic to position itself as a permanent care giver in the region. The service is fast becoming popular as lack of access to affordable and quality medical care is a huge challenge in rural India. This innovative Medicine Facility provides people of remote regions with easy access to quality health services and has worked towards improving the general health of the population in the area as patients can now avail regular diagnostic check-ups. It has also changed their perspective towards their health and well being, making them aware of the value of timely action and lifestyle changes when it comes to their health.

Committed to bringing a change where it matters, in the area of rural health, the wheels of O-Health move ahead with a conviction to bring a change in the area of the health sector in rural Jammu and Kashmir and there is no stopping them!

The landscape of the region seemed buoyant with health and hope when we visited it and people brimmed with a promise of newer, healthier horizons!

Currently, the service is completely free as it has been fully funded by a Public Sector Enterprise. We have examined over 8000 patients for free till date.

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