On Universal Health Coverage Day, Mallari Kulkarni, Head-Digital LifeCare, Dell Technologies gives an overview of the current diabetes situation in India, progress made by the government in reducing the incidence rate, and how technology can be used to increase access to diabetes care
The increasing burden of diabetes along with other Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) has become a major public health concern across the globe. In India, 77 million people were estimated to have diabetes in 2019, and by 2045, that number is projected to reach over 134 million. What makes diabetes complex? As a chronic disease with multiple systemic complications that increase morbidity and mortality in patients, it can be difficult to track each step of the patient’s journey. This is especially relevant in rural communities, where diabetes among other NCDs has seen an epidemiological shift, and a lack of awareness on disease identification, management, and continued care, can be a deterrent for patients.
Several measures have been implemented by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) over the years to address the rising burden of NCDs. The Ayushman Bharat-Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWCs), which debuted in 2018, is one such initiative that aims to provide comprehensive primary health care that is both free and close to home for all citizens. This includes the provision of population-based screening and management services for common NCDs including diabetes, hypertension, and oral, breast and cervical cancers. By using digital tools in the delivery of these services across all of India, these measures are recognizably modernising rural primary healthcare.
Progress made so far
In a country as large as ours, successful healthcare mechanisms that have shown progress, have typically leveraged human and tech interventions. An example of how technology can be used to enhance healthcare outcomes in India is highlighted in the implementation of the Comprehensive Primary Healthcare (CPHC) NCD IT system. With the goal of screening all individuals over the age of 30 for five NCDs at a population level, the system is positively impacting the quality of care at every stage, including enrolment, screening, examination, diagnosis, treatment, referral, and follow-up. The efficient use of data in the form of patient records, has simplified the task of monitoring and evaluating each person’s progress for healthcare professionals. Every visit to health facility and relevant data is captured in IT system. Health officials can use this data to evaluate, update programme planning, and measure the burden of disease. The patient records in the system are strictly confidential and used only for treatment purposes.
The system is playing an important role in enabling digital inclusion and providing ASHA workers and Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) with the tools they need to do their jobs effectively. By collecting health data through consent for 12 different primary health services across 1,15,648 wellness centres, the Ayushman Bharat Program is redefining how healthcare is delivered in India and demonstrating how technology has the potential to drive human progress.
The way forward
Technology will continue to play a significant role in transforming the healthcare space as India advances on its digital journey and given the rapid transformation of the IT industry. This is a good time to reflect on how far we’ve come and what we need to focus on in order to further scale up the measures to reduce the incidence rate of NCDs:
Supporting healthcare providers: All healthcare professionals involved in the system should be given access to pertinent information through a suitable mechanism. Access to required information will reduce the possibility of errors for any community health officer, community health worker, or specialist
Empowering patients: To alleviate the burden of diabetes, patient care should take precedence. Regular reminders about their upcoming visits should be sent to them, and a proper follow-up plan should be implemented. Additionally, with its second stage of integration with Ayushman Bharat, Digilocker, the official cloud-based storage platform, can now be used as a locker for storing and accessing health records such as vaccination records, doctor prescriptions, lab reports, hospital discharge summaries, and so on, making the task of sharing health information seamless and bringing India one step closer to achieving an interoperable health ecosystem.