Technology can democratize healthcare delivery: cardiologist Devi Shetty

Technology has the power to democratize the delivery of health care because even the best doctors can be reached with just the click of a button, eminent cardiologist and Narayana Hrudayalaya president Devi Prasad Shetty said on Tuesday.

Speaking at an industry event here, Shetty noted that with digital help, people from all walks of life and even in the most remote places of the country can reach out to the best doctors in the country. for consultation, which was not the case before.

“Technology gives the rich what they always had in a better format. But technology will give the poor what they can never dream of having and that is the beauty of technology. What it will do. , it’s democratizing healthcare. And it’s an industry that’s ripe for digital disruption, “Shetty said during her participation in the Microsoft Future Ready online event.

Noting that healthcare depends on data, he said 95% of people who are sick do not need surgery and therefore do not require the physical presence of a doctor.

“If they don’t need an operation, I don’t need to touch them. And if I don’t need to touch them, I don’t need to be there. I can be. anywhere. I can talk to them, get the data and explain to them what the problem is and I can make the decision. So technically speaking, when you hear that a person is sick 95% of the time, you can process online, ”Shetty said.

He noted that AI and software related to electronic medical records (EMRs) would help doctors make better diagnoses.

“Over the next five years, the smart EMR will start making smarter diagnoses than physicians. And within seven years, I can tell you that we doctors will be required to get a second opinion of the software before we start treatment. It will happen. “said Shetty.

Healthcare providers already have smarter software that can give amazing interpretation of data and relatively accurate diagnosis, he added.

“Now it might not be available everywhere, but it’s a matter of time. Before it happens. Healthcare will become safer for the patient… it will become affordable and accessible. have millions of diabetics in india and there are only 1000 diabetologists How can 1000 diabetologists treat so many people You just converted all diabetic consultations online We will have care benefit phenomenal health, ”noted Shetty.

When asked about the lessons he learned from other industries, he said that as a doctor he took inputs from the manufacturing sector that believes in the volumes and scale of economies.

“The hospital where I work, we do about 30 to 37 heart surgeries every day. And what we’ve noticed is that when you do a lot of procedures, your results improve. Your cost goes down, it goes down. there is an economy of scale and everyone is oriented towards a particular aspect of the treatment, ”noted Shetty.

He also said that if a solution is not affordable, it is not a solution.

“In any industry, you can create a fantastic product, but if your customers can’t afford it, there’s no point. So in my industry, I keep getting excited when someone has developed a artificial heart. We have been implanting artificial hearts for the past 12 years. It is a phenomenal achievement. But an artificial heart in the Indian context costs more than a few million dollars. How many people in my country can afford it? So how many people in my country can afford it? it’s no use here, ”said Shetty.

Narayana Hrudayalaya, based in Bengaluru, operates a network of hospitals across the country. It also operates a facility in the Cayman Islands. The company now has more than 5,859 operational beds thanks to a combination of completely new projects and acquisitions.

(Only the title and image of this report may have been reworked by Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is automatically generated from a syndicated feed.)

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