Healthcare industry is witnessing a sea change going by the transformation in the area of technology used in diagnostics, imaging and communication.

With point-of-care (PoC) and portable testing devices gaining ground, large centralized diagnostic labs could soon cease to exist. With cost of hardware collapsing and development of embedded intelligent software are creating a shift from capital intensive medical technologies to PoC devices. Imaging and communication technology has resulted in transfer of diagnostic reports in real time. This has enhanced patient care even in remote locations. There is access to high-quality imaging at the point-of-care with chips and glucometres helping detect diseases and complications earlier, stated Dr Vikram Chhatwal, CEO, Reliance Health Ventures Limited.

India's healthcare sector is in a dynamic growth phase with a positive impact of healthcare technology and information technology, said Dr. Chhatwal at seminar on Healthcare and Emerging technologies organized by the Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce in association with the Indo-Spanish Chamber of Technology (ISCT) and Interactive Technology, Software and Media Association (ITSMA) here in Bangalore.

In his keynote address via video conferencing from Mumbai, Dr Chhatwal stated that the next wave of healthcare delivery has emerged. Medical services from hospitals is moving towards the community and diagnostics are now increasingly inclined towards remote access. The revenue model is focused on cost per unit versus batch process output. The PoC medical technology is now foolproof, stable and economical which will see the emergence and growth of clinics, community healthcare centres and small nursing homes being able to deliver immediate medical care, he pointed out.

From an imaging perspective, consolidation of modalities from different angles of representation to a single clear picture would help to reconstruct or reconstitute an internal organ and help radiologists, specialists and surgeons to visualize the human anatomy more precisely. This has revolutionized the offering of tele-health, tele-radiology and telemedicine initiatives, he said.

Also these initiatives would go a long way in addressing the manpower issues as several developing countries including India have acute shortage of trained medical professionals be it doctors, nurses or paramedics. The feature of new technologies is that even while being precise and superior they are user friendly with even semi-skilled persons being able to operate it.

The rise of chronic diseases is attributed to the awareness in advanced, accessible and affordable diagnostics. This is an age of painless implantable sensors, non-invasive devices and skin patches preventing the need for vein punctures. There are also major developments in the area of Bluetooth, intelligent algorithms emerging in a triage market that helps to define the severity of an illness. Such advances are now an integral part of healthcare allowing patients and small clinics to be able to access the right specialist, helping to save lives and provide affordable care. Disease management driven by backend intelligence like intra cardiac devices and monitors being able to transmit emergencies to a medial repository centre for immediate attention are making the biggest impact on the healthcare industry, stated Dr. Chhatwal.

While Indian healthcare industry has looked at the West to replicate the advanced technology, there have been several stumbling blocks in its adoption which is primarily attributed to the inability of the doctors, nurses and paramedics to efficiently handle medical technology, said Dr Chhatwal.

Just like the mobile technology which is now an indispensable component in India, adoption of medical information technology will only bring down cost of care with quick access, he added.