Believe it or not, 5% of all Google searches are health-related

In an eye-popping statistic, globally, 5 percent of all Google searches have been said to be health-related. According to a research article that was published in 2019, there were a total of 70,000 websites providing health information, a number which would have grown several times over in the intervening years until now. The ongoing digitization of healthcare has unleashed a barrage of information and material today leading to an information overload as compared to the pre-digital era. Now with the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission or ABDM throwing up even more data related to health providers, hospitals, diagnostic centers, insurance companies and patients, a more complicated landscape emerges making it more challenging to differentiate between random information and usable knowledge. However today, thanks to digital health solutions, curated, evidence-based, expert and authentic information is being made available to patients as well as healthcare providers thereby also empowering them in the process.

Catalyze self-care & quality care accessibility, a huge empowerment for patients
Digitization has brought with itself a humongous amount of quality and verified information that is publicly available on healthcare websites and apps today, and provided by credible governments as well as health organizations, authorities and specialists. From information on different diseases and health conditions — ranging from the most common types to the rarest ones — to their symptoms, to ways of diagnosis, usually-prescribed medicines, to precautions to be taken, to which food to be taken and which to avoid, there is nearly most information available on the internet. And patients as well as those who are not patients have taken to these websites quite readily not only to seek new information but also to cross-check and confirm what they are being told in a physical setting.

And with Covid-19 precipitating a culture of preventive health among lay people, more people than ever are visiting online for health-related information.Simultaneously, there has also been a surge in health apps. Apart from those that provide general information, there are apps aimed at specific health condition management for diseases such as diabetes, cardio-vascular conditions, mental health and several lifestyle diseases empowering people in a way not conceivable before. With digital health monitors, fitness tracking devices and wearables becoming more commonplace by the day, the enormous leap in self-care has given a new meaning to patient empowerment today. And with telemedicine and telehealth bringing quality care including point-of-care diagnostic services and medicines to the remotest and the most under-served areas while saving time, money and efforts for travel, patients have been truly empowered across the country.

Serve as a critical empowering tool in the HCPs’ toolkit
In the same way, the ever-increasing footprint of digital tools and mediums is also strengthening the hand of doctors and other healthcare personnel. It has been estimated that new medical knowledge doubles in merely 73 days today, as compared to 50 years in 1950, 7 years in 1980 and 3.5 years in 2010. There are nearly 30,000 medical journals published globally. In the biomedical field alone, more than 1 million papers are put into the PubMed database — a free resource depository managed by the US government — about two papers per minute. Now with such a gigantic amount of new information and insights coming out on a regular basis, it is humanly impossible for doctors to keep a track of all the latest research and advancements in his field. In a study conducted in Eastern India, it was found that a whopping 97.5 percent of doctors had confirmed that they had browsed the internet for patient care and 85.5 percent doctors agreed that they had obtained relevant information. Furthermore, telemedicine and video conferencing technologies can help a doctor attending a patient consult, clarify and confirm on a line of treatment with peers and experts from anywhere in the world. The latest medical imaging technologies coupled with advances in remote diagnostics has made this sharing of knowledge and practical expertise a lot easier today. With EHRs and EMRs gaining increased traction, getting a complete health record of a patient at the click of a button has improved over-all diagnosis and treatment tremendously thereby boosting doctors’ professional reputation and track record.The emergence of clinical decision support (CDS) systems has further augmented their clinical decision-making ability. The combination of medtech and edtech has also facilitated the delivery of medical upskilling and upgrade courses with the best of curricula and content for working healthcare professionals including nurses. Importantly, since digital solutions help carry out routine and administrative tasks such as documentation etc, they allow a doctor to concentrate better on patient diagnosis and treatment as also to manage their time.

Bolster health authorities’ public health agenda
Similar to HCPs and patients, digital health solutions are also an important means of protecting and improving public health. The recent successes vis à vis Covid management using digital tools are still fresh in memory. With digital epidemiology — employing digital tools and solutions such as tracking devices, mobile applications, and social media updates in combination with AI, big data and simulation technologies — making new breakthroughs, it has been so much easier for the health experts and authorities to carry out surveillance, forecasting, detection of an outbreak and launch timely responses for communicable diseases. In fact, digital tools are also increasingly being used to track patterns and incidences of non-communicable and chronic diseases, reproductive and child health, and occupational and environmental health, among different populations in different regions of the country.

Promote interests of health businesses and investors too
With telemedicine and digital technologies making information pathways clearer with colossal amounts of patient and user data available today,new-age health businesses (also traditional players) can carry out market surveys and assessments more accurately and granularly, identify product and service gaps and make requisite investments. The digital marketing and analytics can also assist them with improved business intelligence and forecasting, something that would optimize inventory, boost operational efficiencies while also maximizing sales, revenue and profits.

In sum, by bridging the knowledge gap, digital technologies and solutions in healthcare are proving to be an instrument of empowerment for everyone. The Week