COVID-19 Led to the Rise of Digital Healthcare Innovation

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a paradigm shift in the healthcare industry. The operational challenges like consulting other asymptomatic patients or patients with mild symptoms of COVID-19 in person proved to be a daunting task as the ratio of doctors, nurses to patients remains skewed. Along with this shortcoming of resources and despite the limitations of social distancing, it is only because of digital healthcare innovation that there could be some provision to mitigate the challenges and treat patients. Through digitized healthcare, doctors could consult their patients even while being away from hospitals and clinics. 

Digital Healthcare Innovation

Further, digital health has bridged the shortage of doctors and nurses that is widespread in India. Just like in the US, in India, people have now warmed up to healthcare systems that seamlessly connect them with doctors, nurses, medical insurance companies, and even pharmacies through an App or a dedicated platform. The adoption was accelerated due to a countrywide lockdown and an unfathomable spike in COVID-19 cases on a daily basis. Owing to the same, it seems like digitized healthcare will become the new normal, just like everything else around us.

The Need of the Hour

In 1918, when the Spanish Flu hit humanity, the situation was slightly different because of its growth rate. Unlike it, COVID-19 affected the globe within weeks. It broke the health systems. The physical procedures of testing, tracking, and containing the spread became back-breaking.

A plethora of private as well as government companies, institutions coped up with the pandemic with the help of video conferences, remote work and digital solutions. Yet, digital healthcare got adapted majorly only after this crisis.

The uncertainty posed by the pandemic, lockdown across India and the globe has broken the back of the mainstream healthcare systems. For every single doctor and nurse, there are hundreds of patients who often need critical care. Considering the looming effects and potential relapse of COVID-19, unscalable real-world infrastructure for healthcare, positions digital healthcare innovations as the only viable option that can help people and ensure their well-being without any casualties.

Digital Healthcare Innovations at Work

Although, the healthcare industry is rapidly growing, so are the on-ground complexities like access of the relevant practitioners at the right time, provision of pharmacy, active compliance of one’s medical insurance. If you are an entrepreneur, you will second how crucial healthcare has become for your employees, more so after COVID-19. Digital employee healthcare provisions like group health insurance, healthcare plans need to be offered to teams to ensure higher productivity and welfare.

Owing to COVID-19 and also because of access to global health solutions offered across the globe, these days, employees are well aware of their health care plans. This calls for an overhaul of healthcare programs that are being offered to employees.

Way Ahead for Digital Healthcare

As per Invest India, the digital health market in India will see a growth of 29.6% from 2019-25. Digital healthcare curbs inefficiencies efficiently diagnose and treats diseases. Moreover, digital healthcare accelerates the tracking of ailments and improves the quality of life through telemedicine, telehealth, video consultations, etc.

Because of initiatives like Aadhaar, Digital India, etc. various digital healthcare startups have attracted funding and support from the ecosystem. Also, the need to revive preventive healthcare has become critical more than ever before. Therefore, the future of healthcare is digital like that of various other industries. In India, digital healthcare tools like Aarogya Setu, National Health Stack (NHS), e-Sanjeevani have garnered faster adaptability with the Telemedicine Practice Guidelines, National eHealth Authority (Neha) and that speaks for itself!

The New Normal 

Digital healthcare will also play a vital role in empowering various SMEs, startups, entrepreneurs after entering the mainstream. It would prepare these businesses by offering them easy solutions for employee wellness programs. At Onsurity, we understand the global healthcare dialogue and consider employee healthcare as the touchstone for an enterprise’s growth. As a global healthcare platform, we are on a mission to democratize technology. Our aim is to help entrepreneurs, businessmen by providing the best digital healthcare services with our self-serving, technology-enabled products.

Digital healthcare will undoubtedly change our lives and enable us to face the next global challenge in a better way. At Onsurity, we are empowering the same through innovations that will help various startups, SMEs through affordable digital employee healthcare. Visit our website to know more!