Tech powered by Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission will improve health outcomes

The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) launched by the Indian government in September 2021 intends to make healthcare more accessible and affordable by enabling technologies to deliver electronic health records, telemedicine, and e-pharmacies. The healthcare industry in India is forecasted to grow to a value of $372 billion by 2022 due to a rise in income, improved health consciousness, the prevalence of lifestyle-related illnesses, and expanding access to insurance.

ABDM is establishing a digital ecosystem for healthcare service delivery. Service providers have an unprecedented opportunity to address India’s growing healthcare needs by partnering with ABDM to develop, implement, and maintain healthcare digital assets.

The Indian healthcare industry has been through a much-needed change brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic

COVID-19 significantly impacted India’s healthcare system, exposing weaknesses in the infrastructure. During the pandemic, the shortage of hospital beds, medical equipment, and healthcare workers was a major challenge for India; this highlighted the need for more robust and resilient systems for responding to health crises.

The use of digital tools and platforms in healthcare has been gaining traction in recent years, and it’s expected to continue growing. Digital health is maturing and accelerating, enhancing a wide range of patient outcomes. Digital health technology can improve access to quality care by making it easier for patients to access healthcare services, particularly in remote or underserved areas. Telemedicine, remote monitoring, and other digital health tools enable patients to receive care from anywhere, anytime. However, the implementation of these technologies is a work in progress. COVID-19 in India forced everyone to overcome resistance and educate providers and patients about the benefits of digital health technology. India has accelerated access and funding for healthcare with ABDM to begin building the infrastructure required to support the country’s integrated digital health systems.

ABDM is the driving force behind India’s healthcare transformation

ABDM focuses on using technology to bolster healthcare service delivery, including digital health records and telemedicine. Its mission aims to enable better coordination between various stakeholders in the healthcare ecosystem system, such as hospitals, doctors, and insurance providers, to positively impact healthcare for all citizens. Exhibit 1 shows the different stakeholders of the healthcare ecosystem in India.

Exhibit 1: The ABDM Ecosystem includes a variety of stakeholders

Source: Government of India, ABDM

To deliver comprehensive, seamless, and efficient healthcare services across the ecosystem, ABDM follows a stack approach, as depicted in Exhibit 3. It uses a combination of web-based portals, mobile applications, and other technologies to provide individuals with access to healthcare services and to manage and process the data used by the scheme.

Exhibit 2: ABDM employs various elements to offer all-inclusive, smooth, and efficient healthcare services throughout the system.

Source: Government of India, ABDM

Exhibit 3: The ABDM Stack is modular and interoperable

Source: Government of India, ABDM, HFS research

Service providers are instrumental in helping ABDM unlock the full potential for digital healthcare

ABDM’s goal is to create a digital ecosystem to transform healthcare service delivery. This requires developing and implementing various digital tools and platforms, such as electronic health records (EHR), telemedicine, and digital payment systems. Service providers could partner with ABDM to support the digital mission, offering a range of services to support the digital platform’s development, implementation, and maintenance.

Service providers’ many offerings could include the following:

• Developing and implement the digital platform, including the health building blocks and the unified health interface.
• Providing technical support and maintenance services to ensure the platform runs smoothly and efficiently.
• Providing training and support to healthcare providers on using the platform and accessing patient information.
• Offering data analytics and reporting services to track the scheme and identify areas for improvement.
• Providing cybersecurity and data protection services to ensure patient data is secure.
• Integrating mulitple systems and services, such as hospitals, diagnostic centers, and insurance providers, into the ABDM platform.

Recently, the Indian government called for interested organizations to help develop ABDM components and solutions that can help build a digital health ecosystem. The government is encouraging private and public companies to come forward and contribute their technology solutions in the areas of healthcare and wellness.

The Bottom Line: India is unlocking the power of healthcare with technology to improve healthcare access and outcomes, giving service providers a generation opportunity to participate in the transformation.

Technology is opening doors for India’s healthcare system, providing new opportunities for improved accessibility, quality, and affordability of healthcare services. With ABDM, India is at the forefront of the digital healthcare revolution, making healthcare more efficient, inclusive, and accessible. Service providers should not miss the opportunity ABDM is offering to provide a significant first-mover advantage for growth and expansion in India’s healthcare field.