Healthcare: Keeping pace with trends

Specialisations and use of technology has changed the way healthcare industry works. Here’s a look at some of the new trends.

Healthcare has always been in a state of dynamic flux. The good old family physician has been replaced by specialists and super-specialists. The chances of finding a family physician in Bangalore are just as hard as finding a home sparrow.

Nursing homes have been swamped by corporate and private hospitals. Government hospitals are patronised mostly by those who cannot afford private treatment. On the other hand medical insurance is plagued by issues related to Third Party Administrators (TPAs) and inflated bills.

New concepts in healthcare have emerged: Preventive Healthcare, Corporate Healthcare, and Home Healthcare. Suddenly, there has been a shift towards Holistic care. With electronic medical records gaining acceptance, investigation reports are digitalised and e-mailed.

Home Healthcare has evolved as a response to social and economic pressures.  Working couples, with dependent parents or children, in need of treatment, post operative and palliative care requirements face an uphill task of taking them repeatedly to hospitals. This is further compounded by woefully inadequate public transport system, attitude of most auto drivers and risk of cross-infection in hospitals.

With advent of daycare surgeries, there is pressure on hospitals to discharge patient early making follow up nurse visits a practical solution. Day care surgeries is when patients are operated upon, observed in Postoperative room, and discharged the same day back to their homes. This Practically does away with requirement of patient to stay in Hospital overnight. Making it mandatory to find nurses who will visit the patients home. These requirements can be best met by a professionally managed healthcare organisation.

Spirituality is another emerging dimension. Yoga, meditation and related terms are no more considered exotic terminology. Concept of a healthy self as ‘Heal Thy self’ finds reverberation in concept of Mind Body Medicine.

Management of emergencies has been revolutionised by services such as the 108 Ambulance. This is a service provided by Emergency Management and Research Institute (EMRI). The impact of handling emergencies within critical period, on lives saved, has been scientifically documented in national and international publications.

The healthcare scenario suffers from a vicious urban-rural divide. Since doctors and paramedics are not willing to stay in rural areas, an entirely new model is set to emerge driven by technology and telecommunication. It is expected and hoped that these new developments will shape a better tomorrow for the healthcare management.

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