Healthcare’s Integrated Circuit

Context: Integrated healthcare model (IHM), though it offers immense possibilities, should be viewed with cautious optimism.

About Integrated Health Model (IHM)

• WHO defines IHM as “the organization and management of health services so that people get the care they need, when they need it, in ways that are user-friendly, achieve the desired results and provide value for money.”
• Technology backed integration: Integrated health-tech platforms beginning to evolve as a one-stop, seamless interface to provide information, facilitate consultation, conduct testing, and make treatment available to patients conveniently and at low costs.

Potential of IHM

• Deepening Accessibility, Affordability and Availability: While prices are kept lower, IHM can cover higher volumes by pitching a variety of health products, tests and services serving a greater number of patients through user-friendly tech interfaces.
• Diversified funding solutions: Through options including medical insurance, financial loan or crowdfunding.
• Market potential: Healthcare is the second-largest consumption basket in India, and outpatient care is emerging to be a fast-growing profit pool for businesses to tap.
• Increases the ethical obligation of doctors: As the model presumes that patients are aware of their rights as consumers and assert it by saying no to unnecessary medication or tests.

Challenges and concerns

• Increased risks of medical malpractices: Such as compromising patient safety, consent, and antitrust issues as the model places the patients, their records and their choices all under one roof.
  • Lack of comprehensive data protection laws worsens these risks.
• Regional inequalities: Quality and provision of healthcare services has been skewed across different states and even in different regions within a state.

Conclusion:

• Leveraging National Digital Health Mission: By integrating role of doctors, service providers, drugs- and device-makers, regulators and patients.
• Initiate awareness-building measures: Patients and other stakeholders need to be sensitized on their rights, autonomy and safety.
• Evolve market framework with the right balance between profit-making and patient welfare: Focusing on medical ethics, developing a competitive market of verified digital service providers and strict enforcement of data protection and privacy laws.