Blockchain To Ensure That Patient Data Across The Country Is Protected: Pranav Bajaj

Do you think the role of EMS in the overall healthcare landscape is changing?

Our country's healthcare system is undergoing a transition from a fee-for-service delivery model to a patient-centred, value-based, and outcomes-based model. Herein, the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) is positioned uniquely to support the transformation while achieving the Institute of Healthcare Improvement's (IHI) triple aim of enhancing the patient experience of care, including quality and satisfaction, enhancing population health, and lowering the per capita cost of healthcare. 

Essentially, the EMS provides timely prehospital care for all emergencies, including hazards like fire, floods, earthquakes, etc. Currently, the norms require EMS agencies to have a robust communication system to ensure the least response time. Additionally, ambulances transferring the patients to hospitals, managed by the call centre, should be linked in real-time via an information system employing many modes and channels of communication which helps ensure seamless transfer of the patients.

How is the industry leveraging the new-age technology like blockchain, AI, ML, 5G, IoT, automation, etc. to disrupt business models across the value chain?

The ongoing technological advancement is bringing a progressive shift in the healthcare industry. AI is being used widely by doctors and radiologists to assess the patient’s medical parameters and analyse potential risks. While reducing the cost of healthcare delivery, this new-age technology is also addressing regulatory, security, and privacy concerns in the healthcare industry. According to NASSCOM, AI will be essential for prompt pandemic breakout prediction, remote diagnosis, and optimal health resource allocation in the post-COVID age. Even in the pharmaceutical industry, nanomedicine and AI-ML solutions help develop precision medicines. In fact,  reports suggest that data and AI have the potential to add $450-$500 billion to India's GDP by 2025, with a considerable contribution of $25-$30 billion coming from the healthcare industry.

Using new technologies like blockchain, AI, ML, IoT, 5G, and automation can assist governments in managing epidemics better, allocating resources more effectively, designing interventions, providing more precise-targeted care, and addressing human-resource issues. India has already started employing new-age technology to bolster the healthcare ecosystem, with a National AI strategy in the works.

In the health insurance segment, data-based solutions can help in making accurate assessments. While helping in making informed decisions, electronic health records and AI-based analytics enables effective and efficient claim processing. Another technology that is gaining traction in the market is IoT-based wearables. They can analyse real-time data and provide better access to patients' history through the cloud. Growing rapidly, it will facilitate self-diagnosis, treatment tracking, and even help in post-treatment care.

What are the challenges that emergency service providers might face in the times head?

With the current healthcare infrastructure, the emergency service sector faces numerous challenges. Primarily, the supply-demand gap in the Indian paramedical sector is still prevalent. While WHO recommends the nurse-to-population ratio to be 1:300, the current ratio in India is 1:670. It is majorly due to a shortage of trained workforce. If strict measures aren’t taken, the ever-increasing demand for trained paramedics and licensed nurses in the business will continue to expand in the near future. This will not only pose a daunting challenge for private players in the healthcare sector but also for the government. 

Another major challenge is the continuously rising fuel prices, especially in the last few months. Ambulances have high fuel consumption because they are on the move throughout the day. If the hike in fuel prices continues, it will affect the price structures of emergency response services. However, the use of electric vehicles may be a way out.

Using EVs in specific locations across the country will ensure that emergency services are affordable to consumers. While India is yet to adopt EVs for medical response services, initiatives by the government in this direction will help revolutionise the industry and make emergency response affordable for consumers. 

In addition to this, the emergency response service has been advancing with new-age digital solutions. While helping reduce response time and improving patient experience, it also brings the threat of data privacy. On the one hand, having digitised records will accelerate treatments in times of emergency. On the other hand, it poses a risk of cyber threats and data breaches. To resolve this, there is a rampant need for highly secure technologies like blockchain to ensure that patient data across the country is protected. In the medical sector, the use of technologies for data security is still in its nascent stage, but continuous developments will help overcome the forthcoming challenges. 

What are some challenges that the industry is facing currently and that need immediate attention by the government.

The healthcare sector's lack of rate card standardisation has been affecting patients significantly. It causes a wide gap in the accessibility of quality healthcare services, especially during medical emergencies. Therefore, initiatives by the government to create a rate standardisation or capping will help address the concern and provide patients with a fair treatment cost. 

Meanwhile, the traffic on the road has increased multifold in the last few years. In fact, a survey recorded a surge in the number of vehicles in India’s capital, reaching 122.53 lakh in FY 2021. The increased traffic makes it difficult for ambulances to reach the patient on time. While some states impose penalties for not providing a way for ambulances, it isn’t prevalent across the country. There is an urgent need to impose strict measures in all Indian states to save lives. Along with strict regulations, initiatives should be taken to provide special recognition and token of appreciation to individuals who help road accident victims and patients with medical emergencies. 

A rise in uncertified ambulances and drivers without licence is a major challenge in the industry. Only those ambulances that have passed the ambulance fitness tests successfully should be allowed to be part of emergency response providers. This will ensure the legality of the vehicles and warrant that only certified paramedics and drivers are tending to the patients. Alongside, drivers without licences and uncertified vehicles should be penalised for violating the rules. It is the way to build a robust network of  efficient ambulances, paramedics, and drivers, further strengthening India’s emergency response network.

When purchasing a technology solution for the back of the ambulance, what are key things one should keep in mind? Should agencies focus more on Interconnectivity and communication?

When procuring tech-enabled solutions, emergency service providers should always ensure that it is efficient and sustainable. It should support the existing operations and reduce response time while improving prehospital care. On the other hand, one should always keep the weight, energy consumption, and equipment's power source when buying special medical devices.

In the emergency response sector, interconnectivity and communication are crucial. At Medulance, we have mobile applications for all our stakeholders - drivers, emergency centres, paramedics, and back-end operators - to assure no  lapse and  that no time is wasted during the relay of information. In a medical emergency, every second counts. Our app, MeduTech, provides users with customised dashboards where patient information, ambulance request, and dispatch are recorded in real-time for monitoring and assistance purposes. If needed, the information recorded is shared with the  hospitals to help  prepare for the incoming patient.  Interconnectivity is the core to saving lives, providing on-time treatments, and minimising health complications when a medical emergency strikes.

How Medulance is strategising and planning to access the remote corners of the country to provide its help to the people living in the outskirts of the country?

Currently, we have a strong presence in 60 cities across India, and we aim to expand to over 100 cities by FY 2023. For client locations and units in remote areas, we have also started building tie-ups with nearby hospitals where patients can be taken in times of emergency. We also set up In-house medical rooms and mini-clinics at remote locations of the client, so that the employee can get the first point of medical attention in no time.

In remote locations, we also plan to forge partnerships with primary health care (PHC), community health care (CHC), hospitals, public safety authorities, and NGOs. By analysing past data on medical emergencies, we are charting the best plans to serve these areas as per the requirement. We have also developed a detailed database of local vendors in specific locations in the country to ensure the timely availability of ambulances when needed.