Information Communication Technology (ICT) has a huge potential to grow capacity in this sector due to low-cost innovation, low-priced mobile phones and more ‘inclusive’ solutions that fill crucial gaps in health information and access.

1. LEVERAGING ICT IN HEALTHCARE:
TRANSFORMING THE FUTURE OF HEALTHCARE DELIVERY

2. PREFACE
 UT of J&K with Ladakh is spread over an area of 2,22,236 Square kilometres
and the terrain is mostly mountainous.
 The state is a disaster-prone area, has the occurrence of earthquakes and
floods, is disturbance and turmoil prone, and has extreme winter, making
many of its parts inaccessible during winter periods.
 The UT of J&K has a population of about 1.25 Crores (2011 census) and is
being catered to by :
 375 Primary Health Centres (PHC also called Sub-district hospitals) ,
 22 District hospitals, Four Govt. Medical Colleges ( Two at Jammu and two at
Srinagar)
 Four New Medical Colleges Commissioned recently.
 And two Super-Specialty Hospitals (also called a referral hospital) one at SKIMS,
Srinagar.

3. PREFACE
 Healthcare service resources does not increase in the same proportion as the
increase in population.
 Moreover, there are big geographical disparities in health and wellbeing of the
population along with demographic and epidemiological transitions that take
place.
Information Communication Technology (ICT) has a huge potential to grow
capacity in this sector due to low-cost innovation, low-priced mobile phones
and more ‘inclusive’ solutions that fill crucial gaps in health information and
access.
Further, the process of health planning needs to evolve by the use of ICT in
healthcare delivery and distribution and public health decision making at every
level.

4. THE USE OF ICT IN HEALTHCARE CAN BE
CATEGORIZED INTO 4 MAIN STREAMS
•EDUCATION
•MANAGEMENT
•RESEARCH
•DATA MANAGEMENT

5. THE USE OF ICT IN HEALTH EDUCATION
 In this Digital era, people can easily seek, access, learn & communicate
with others within a quick span of time.
 This makes education accessible, available and open to all.
 Health education creates awareness among the public about the
communicable diseases, health status, prevention measures and various
current diagnostic & therapeutic procedures.
 This gives a freedom to the people to choose the best hospitals and
doctors to approach for treatment and to have their life in a healthy
way.

6. THE OF ICT IN HOSPITAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
 ICT helps the Hospital management to have a knowledge on
population health & statistics and keep a note on the government
mandates to keep them on track.
 This helps the management to overcome the challenges and to
improve the patient safety and satisfaction.
 Primarily, the workplace gets strengthened.

7. THE USE OF ICT IN HEALTH RESEARCH
 The mathematical modelling of the diseases pattern leading to the
development of Evidence Based Health Care delivery System and helps in
finding the possible prevention measures to eradicate and reduce the spread
of diseases.
 Based on this, a community research, we can innovate diagnosis which
reduces the time and cost. This saves the lives of many individuals by
providing treatment in advance.
 Through ICT, the traditional healthcare systems can be eliminated and new
models can be formed for effective quality care.

8. THE USE OF ICT IN HEALTH DATA MANAGEMENT
(HEALTH INFORMATION EXCHANGE)
 Electronic storage of medical data. This helps to retrieve the information
easily.
 Medical data can be transferred to the patient or to the Doctors for
consultation.
 The patient can have all the medical records virtually in hand which can
be used anywhere, anytime.
This is being done through the ABDM which shall be implemented very
soon.

9. UNDERSTANDING ICT IN HEALTHCARE:
DELIVERY OF RIGHT HEALTH SERVICES TO RIGHT
PEOPLE AT THE RIGHT PLACE AS WELL AS ON RIGHT
TIME.

10. A. DEFINITION AND SCOPE:
 Application of computers and
telecommunication equipment's in
healthcare.-Computerization
 Store, retrieve and share healthcare
information electronically for
communication and decision-making. –Data
Repository
 Improve the overall quality, safety and
efficiency of the health delivery system.--
MIS
 Accessibility of services to remote areas.--
Telemedicine
 Increasing workflow efficiency.
Accountability & transparency
 Reduce healthcare costs. Cost Effective
 Patient safety reduce human errors.
Accuracy
 Clinical decision making. CDSS
 Training and education of health workers.
Capacity Building
 Health promotion, knowledge sharing with
general public. PHP
 Feedback. Improved services. E.g. RAS

11. B. KEY COMPONENTS OF ICT IN HEALTHCARE:
 Electronic health records (EHRs): EHRs allow healthcare providers to access patient information from anywhere,
at any time. This can lead to better coordination of care and improved patient outcomes.
 Telemedicine: Telemedicine allows patients to receive care from a doctor or other healthcare provider remotely.
This can be especially beneficial for patients who live in rural areas or who have difficulty traveling.
 Health Information Exchange (HIE): It is necessary that the networks that permit electronic communication
among providers must be secure in order to safeguard the information from unauthorized access, use and
disclosure. It requires developing data and messaging standards to establish the critical goal of
interconnectivity to communicate.
 Artificial intelligence (AI): AI is being used in hospitals to automate tasks, improve diagnosis, and develop new
treatments. For example, AI can be used to analyze medical images to identify potential problems.
 Wearable devices: Wearable devices can be used to monitor patients' health data in real time. This can help
providers identify and address problems early, which can lead to better outcomes.

12. BENEFITS OF LEVERAGING ICT IN HEALTHCARE:

13. A. ENHANCED EFFICIENCY AND PRODUCTIVITY:
 Immediate medical attention, especially during times of medical emergency, natural disasters. Doctor on Call
 No need for waiting long to see. Generally. Queue Management
 Eliminate the need to physically go to medical facility. Telemedicine
 Telehealth reduces the distance barriers. Telemedicine
 Reduce documentation and paperwork. Digitization
 The growth in telehealth space will extensively reduce insurance premiums and potentially reduce the time a patient has to
be away for work. Equivalent comprehensive healthcare provisions to everyone by eliminating geographical barriers. Cost
effective.
 Multi Channel Communication to the primary care doctor and specialist happens at the same time because everyone is
virtually present in the same room during diagnosis. Expanded reach to various health service providers. Better
communication.
 ICT streamlines administrative tasks, reduces paperwork, and improves workflow efficiency. E-governance
 Automation of processes, such as appointment scheduling, billing, and inventory management, leading to cost savings and
time optimization. Business Process Reengineering

14. B. IMPROVED QUALITY OF CARE:
 ICT enables accurate and comprehensive health records, leading to better diagnoses
and personalized treatment plans.
 By use of Telemedicine reducing geographical barriers, improving access to
healthcare, and enabling remote monitoring for chronic conditions.
 Real-time data exchange, decision support systems, and clinical alerts to enhance
patient safety and prevent medical errors.
 Enabling entirely new modes of care.
 Improving communication between healthcare providers and patients
 Reducing healthcare costs.

15. C. EMPOWERING PATIENT ENGAGEMENT:
 Empowering patients is an important aspect of healthcare. Here are some strategies to help increase patient
engagement in your practice:
 Create a Positive Experience
 Use Technology
 Encourage Self-Management
 Implementing patient satisfaction surveys
 ICT tools like ABHA to empower patients through access to personal health records, educational resources,
and self-management applications.
 M-Health and wearable devices and health apps in promoting preventive care, fitness tracking, and medication
adherence.
 Patient portals like eSahaj and secure messaging for communication between healthcare providers and
patients.

16. OVERCOMING CHALLENGES AND ENSURING
ADOPTION:
ABDM AS SOLUTION

17. A. PRIVACY AND SECURITY:
Issues
 In healthcare, accurate and complete information about
individuals is critical to providing high-quality, coordinated care.
 When physicians assess the health IT environment, there may be
situations that may lead to unauthorized access, use, disclosure,
modification, and destruction of electronic health record.
 When physicians adopt ICT to enhance the quality and efficiency
of care. It is necessary to reengineering for health information
security policies related to data privacy, security breaches, and
the need for robust cybersecurity measures.
 Information security is achieved by ensuring information
confidentiality, integrity and availability.
Solution (Business Process Reengineering)
 To mitigate each risk, we should implement the important
step of reviewing existing health information security
policies and developing new policy statements to address
new risks to electronic health information
 Refine who is authorized to view and administer electronic
health information, or clarify and improve how and when
electronic health information is provided to patients
 Apply updated health information security policies into
practice to mitigate new risks to electronic health
information
 Follow administrative, physical and technical safeguards in
the practice.

18. B. INTEROPERABILITY:
Issues
 Interoperability in healthcare defines the ability
of systems and devices to exchange, interpret
and share data in such a manner that end-users
can understand it
 Interoperability in healthcare faces many
challenges such as disjointed coordination, lack
of standardization, privacy concerns, and
increased administrative workloads
 Ensuring data privacy and security during the
process of data exchange is vital
Solution (Standardization of Systems, HL7)
 The adoption of a standardized healthcare
terminology, education strategy, design of
useable interfaces for ICT tools, privacy and
security issues as well as the connection of
legacy systems to the health network are ways of
achieving complete interoperability of electronic
based Health Information Systems.
 Synchronization-It promotes operational speed
to a new level, removes paperwork, and
accelerates the digitalization of industries,
including healthcare.

19. C. TRAINING AND INFRASTRUCTURE:
Issues
 The System needs operation by a dedicated skilled
computer knowing personnel.
 Inadequate funding and poor capacity of PHC staff to
undertake the required adoption of ICT
 Further there is lack of interest from Doctors due to
Treister Reasons working in the hospital.
 A need for comprehensive training programs to ensure
healthcare professionals are proficient in using ICT
tools.
 Need infrastructure requirements, including reliable
internet connectivity and hardware resources, to
support widespread ICT adoption
Solution (Capacity Building, Skill
Development)
 We need to build on our own local skills and
infrastructure, based on local demand.
 Develop knowledge and skills among
practitioners
 Build competencies for e-health; find & retain
skilled people. Train the Trainers
 Develop a culture of learning and continuous
improvement, providing training and
development opportunities for staff

20. CONSTRAINTS OF IMPLEMENTATION OF ICT (E-HEALTH).
Issues
 Inadequate health infrastructure.
 Insufficient access to Internet by majority of
population.
 Lack of requisite skills to use them.
 Lack of resource allocation?
 Lack of comprehensive policy on ICT,
absence of standards, guidelines, quality
control mechanism.
Solutions
 We should ensure that e-health becomes an
integral part of health organizations.
 Create an e-health vision and strategy
designed for broader and ongoing
consultation.
 Develop a governance framework to co-
ordinate and integrate e-health strategies.
 Ensure co-ordination, integration and
monitor delivery of all e-health initiatives

21. LEVERAGING ICT IN HEALTHCARE CULMINATION
INTO AYUSHMAN DIGITAL HEALTH MISSION (ABDM)
THE AYUSHMAN BHARAT DIGITAL MISSION (ABDM) IS A NATIONAL
DIGITAL HEALTH MISSION LAUNCHED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF
INDIA IN 2020. THE MISSION AIMS TO CREATE A UNIFIED DIGITAL
HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE COUNTRY, WHICH WILL HELP
IN IMPROVING THE QUALITY, EFFICIENCY, AND ACCESSIBILITY OF
HEALTHCARE SERVICES.

22. AIMS AND OBJECTIVE
 The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) aims to develop the backbone
necessary to support the integrated digital health infrastructure of India.
 It will bridge the existing gap amongst different stakeholders of Healthcare
ecosystem through digital highways.
 Under the ABDM, citizens will be able to create their ABHA (Ayushman Bharat
Health Account) numbers, to which their digital health records can be linked.
 This will enable creation of longitudinal health records for individuals across
various healthcare providers, and improve clinical decision making by
healthcare providers

23. ROLE OF DOCTORS IN ABDM
 Doctors play a key role in the implementation of ABDM. They are responsible
for creating and maintaining health records for their patients, as well as using
digital tools to provide care.
 ABDM will also provide doctors with access to a wider range of information
and resources, which will help them to make better decisions about patient
care.
 With ABDM, doctors can register themselves on the national database
(Healthcare Professional Registry), help create the longitudinal healthcare
database with digital lab reports, discharge summaries and more (PHR), and
offer consultation services to a large pool of people using Unified Health
Interface (UHI)
 The government in India is now providing opportunities for doctors to earn
incentives for adopting ABDM

24. SPECIFIC ROLES THAT DOCTORS WILL PLAY
 Creating and maintaining health records for their patients. This includes
collecting and storing patient data, such as medical history, allergies, and
medications.
 Using digital tools to provide care. This includes using electronic health
records (EHRs), telehealth, and other digital technologies.
 Accessing a wider range of information and resources. This includes accessing
patient data from other healthcare providers, as well as research and clinical
guidelines.
 Making better decisions about patient care. This includes using data and
evidence to make decisions about diagnosis, treatment, and preventive care.

25. BENEFITS THAT ABDM WILL BRING :
 Improved efficiency: ABDM will help doctors to be more efficient by providing
them with access to patient data and information from other healthcare
providers. This will save doctors time and allow them to focus on providing
care to their patients.
 Improved quality of care: ABDM will help doctors to provide better care by
giving them access to more information and resources. This will allow doctors
to make better decisions about patient care and provide more personalized
care.
 Increased patient satisfaction: ABDM will help to improve patient satisfaction
by making it easier for patients to access their health records and
communicate with their doctors. This will help patients to feel more involved
in their care and make them more likely to be satisfied with the care they
receive.

26. FUTURE DIRECTIONS AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES:
 Emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Virtual
Reality, and the Internet of Things are steadily becoming available
globally to optimize care delivery and routine operations critical to
patient care worldwide.
 If health care systems are to evolve, they must shift both
operations and leadership out of the hospital.
 New technologies such as augmented reality, surgical navigation,
and tele-mentoring will enable procedures to shift to community
centers

27. CONCLUSION:
 The way healthcare will be administered to people is going to change forever. More and more
advancements in this field are happening each day. Change is the only constant and for the
healthcare industry that change is now here.
 With the help of ICT, it is possible to transform healthcare and improve patient care, enhance
efficiency, and drive innovation in the healthcare industry by better leveraging information
technology to improve the efficiency, accuracy and effectiveness of the healthcare system.
 Implementing and supporting IT applications require skills. Hence physicians must make
significant changes in both office and physician workflow and take time away to learn how to use
it.
 Healthcare administrators and planners should take a long term view because the benefits will not
be immediately tangible. Hospitals are slowly moving towards clinical information systems, which
helps them to lower their costs. To raise the quality and to improve their cash flow.