Technology is providing solutions to many industries by making them more efficient, and healthcare is no different. Although disparate processes, applications, and systems are being adopted, these implementations nevertheless are lowering costs and improving services for patients around the world.
Information and communications technology (ICT) is making this improvement possible by providing healthcare access 24/7 to more people at prices that are more affordable than visiting a physician at an office. In developing countries, tele-health or tele-consultation is seen as one of the most viable ways to provide quality medical care in remote regions with little or no medical care. To address this problem in India, HealthFore Technologies has launched a tele-consult pilot program on Skype that will be available across the country at very affordable rates.
The Skype solution is part of the company's two year old tele-consultation service, which has been providing medical advice and consultation to patients over the telephone. By adding Skype, customers will be able to provide doctors with more information using video to show symptoms that can be difficult to explain over the phone. As the penetration rate of smartphones increases with more affordable devices, service providers such as HealthFore will be able to diagnose conditions before they get worse and endanger the life of the patient, and costs the healthcare system in the country much needed resources.
As the third largest Internet population in the world, India presents a great opportunity for HealthFore and the platform it has created. With an estimated 200 million Internet users, Skype can be used to provide healthcare to all of these users. The pilot will offer medical consultation and advice given by doctors and medical professionals. The service will be available year round 24 hours a day.
The HealthFore MediConsult platform uses an interactive voice response (IVR) solution hosting on-demand health content covering more than 199 categories.
The service provides:
- Prescription and care advice through SMS and E-mail by MCI registered Doctors
- Qualified medical professionals include MBBS/ BPT/ BHMS/ BAMS/ BDS/ B.Sc.
- Emergency Referral - in the event of an emergency the call will be transferred to ambulance services, emergency services, hospitals and diagnostic centers.
- Proven software, internationally tested for last 20 years, adapted for the Indian population
- Education to patients about the treatment and prevention of medical conditions
Additional services include chronic disease management, maternal and child care, clinical services, tele-pathology, and tele-radiology.
Edited by
Alisen Downey
