Healthcare scenario today

Healthcare in the 21st Century has developed so much that the treatments and technology that we have available today might well seem like magic to the people just 70 years ago. Gone are the days when antibiotics were scarce and Polio was still a scary disease that claimed millions of lives. Today's healthcare has advanced by leaps and bounds not just in treatments but also in testing and recording of patient data thanks to rapid advances in technology and its application to medicine.

Since the beginning of medicine special emphasis has always been placed on patient histories and records. These are extremely valuable considering the rise in genetic diseases . However the medical community and patients have always shared one woe, namely the massive paper trail that each patient visit, procedure or test creates.

In both developing and developed countries as a whole the paper work, easily misplaced files and lack of coherent patient records can drastically impact level of patient care.

Without detailed information on allergies, past medical problems, procedures and medications prescribed doctors can make errors that can end up extremely costly for the patient.

Technology sought to address the problem by creating digital health records, or as they are more commonly known electronic medical records.

Private and public hospitals recognized the massive advantages of maintaining patient records on the cloud. With the advent of high speed internet and secure cloud storage patients can now retrieve their own personal medical information and records anytime thus doing away with cumbersome paper files.

How Health records are useful

• Easy portability
• Referrals to multiple doctors are easy
• Easy for insurance companies to track and pay out for treatments
• Long term illnesses such as diabetes, cancer can be tracked much better
• Analysis of health over the past to plan for the future
• Vaccinations and immunization records are easy to keep upto date
• Patients and their loved ones can keep track of health data and abnormal values as needed
• Boosts level of care for patients
• Enhanced care for geriatric patients
• Never lose track of medications taken and allergies
• Psychiatric counseling and appointments can be tracked for better mental health
• Holistic wellness from weight, diet, exercise and environmental factors can be addressed

Evidence based medicine requires a lot of data for an informed diagnosis to be made and comprehensive patient health data can qualitatively impact that.

A2Z Health Vault: Records to the Rescue!

Many private companies have stepped into the field of electronic health monitoring and Teleconsultation services and they create and manage patient records for the same.

Some famous examples are the Apple health vault, the failed model of the Microsoft health vault, standard health insurance companies that collect and maintain the data of their clients.

In India big players such as Tata health, Apollo Healthcare, Practo have all made custom software for creating and maintaining patient records.

If doctors and nurses are our first line of defence in the battle against illnesses then data is the best ammunition we can arm them with to effectively protect patient health and wellness.