INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Role of Telemedicine and Digital Technologies Future of emergency care services in India India is the second most populous country and the largest democracy in the world. Despite that, emergency care in India is still fragmented with emergency medical services (EMS) not accessible in different parts of the country. According to the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways data of 2016, nearly four hundred deaths occur on Indian roads every day. Additionally, it is being reported that out of every 1 million people, 42,800 suffer from sudden cardiac arrest every year. These figures clearly indicate the need for efficient emergency care services in the country that should be accessible at all places. While the government has been playing its part to improve the condition of EMS in India by collaborating with different organisations and setting up autonomous like the Centralised Accidents and Trauma Services (CATS), the existing emergency care in India fails to meet the public demand. However, with the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, digital solutions have come to the fore to enable easy and timely access to care without the need to be physically present at the doctor’s office. Telemedicine services are transforming the approach to care by not only preventing overcrowding at EMSs, but also ensuring proper safety and wellbeing of medical professionals in emergency care settings. Vikram Thaploo, CEO, Apollo Telehealth
Telemedicine to the aid of emergency care
Emergency care services have been designed to provide timely and immediate care to time-sensitive conditions. In any sort of medical emergency, EMS act as the sole point of contact for patients suffering from stroke, trauma and other emergency medical conditions. However, due to the shortage of staff, overcrowding and lack of necessary resources, emergency medical services in the country often fail to meet up to the needs and expectations of the public. That’s where the power of technology comes into play. Patients can be pre-screened from the comfort of their homes, during hospital transport or after arrival in the emergency department with the help of telemedicine services. This can significantly reduce the time required to provide immediate care to emergency patients. In the case of rural emergency medicine, the role of telehealth can never be undermined. With the help of a single specialist, telemedicine is allowing care to be provided to different sites simultaneously. Different patient-care
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