Technology is an essential asset for managing and operating hospitals. As of the beginning of 2024, the number of internet users in India was 751.5 million, with internet penetration at 52.4 percent. Most corporate hospitals in the country have embraced the technology to enhance their operations, efficiency and effectiveness. Yet, such a development in the field has not seen small hospitals embrace this technology in upgrading the management of hospitals. For small hospitals and clinics in India that face a plethora of different issues when it comes to competing with larger corporatized entities, investment in technology really can mean the difference. Going digital means that smaller healthcare facilities in India can really be up to par with larger ones in everything from efficiency to error reductions and a much higher level of patient care. And a few small hospitals and clinics across India have invested in technology so that they can surmount these challenges that give them increased efficiencies to bring down costs. Here are some real-world examples of how they’re doing it:

1. Electronic Health Records: Improvement in Patients’ Care and Efficiency: Definitely, among the most impactful technology investments one can make for small hospitals is installing electronic health records. The EHR systems maintain accurate and up-to-date records for the patients in a hospital and are accessible by authorized hospital personnel at all times. This ensures continuity of care and reduces medical errors. Several big and medium-sized hospitals in the country have already adopted the system of EHR, which has enabled the doctors to instantly reach the history of patients in order to make decisions on an informed basis and thereby bring better outcomes for the patient. It also streamlined a host of administrative tasks relating to billing and scheduling, making the whole process very efficient. 

2. Telemedicine: Extending Reach and Accessibility Another such technology that greatly fosters small hospitals, particularly located appropriately in rural or underserved areas, is telemedicine. It allows hospitals to easily contact and treat patients who may have problems coming to the hospital for the purpose of treatment. Covid-19 presented the opportunity for TeleHealth Services all over the country, wherein most and many hospitals embraced the same services and are providing consultations to the patients who are spread over the remote parts of our country—making access to care closer to the communities, therefore reducing the strain on hospitals, especially through consultation of the doctors with patients from far-flung areas.

3. Hospital Management Software: Smoothness in Operations: Hospital management software is the keystone of smooth day-to-day operations in the hospital. They play a part in processes starting from admission and discharge to inventory and staff scheduling. In addition, they keep things moving faster in the hospital in terms of its administrative procedures and ensure less waiting time for patients and better coordination between departments.

4. Data Analytics: Informed Decision-Making: Data analytics is, with increased precision, an important growing tool for helping hospitals achieve optimization of operations. By analysing patient outcome data, resource use data, and staff performance, hospitals can pinpoint areas in which problems exist, therefore coming to oft data-based solutions. We have used data analytics to track patient outcomes’ trends in treatment effectiveness and have successfully discovered them. This approach enabled our hospital to tune its treatment protocols that brought out greater care enhancement for patients over time. 

5. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for Diagnostics: AI and ML are revolutionizing diagnostics in Indian health. For instance, powered by AI, Niramai Health Analytix, a Bengaluru-based startup, has designed a gadget that scans for potential goings-on of the deadly disease against a breast. The technology performs an analysis of thermal images from the chest of a lady using machine learning algorithms that are very non-invasive, radiation-free, and low cost, absolutely perfect for diagnosis. Larger hospitals are turning to the use of AI tools because it seeks to improve diagnostic accuracy, particularly in areas with limited access to specialist healthcare. This technology is available to every one, and even smaller hospitals avail of the benefits of this fast-emerging technology. 

6. Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM): Remote patient monitoring is gaining momentum, with success in particular in the monitoring of chronic diseases. From the beginning, Apollo Hospitals has been at the forefront of these innovations and, with the advent of COVID-19, has now launched RPM services to monitor one’s economy. Basically, changes in blood pressure, glucose, and other materials that are essential come in the form from their across-the-house patients who are moderate—literally from their homes. This is considered very useful in the COVID-19 pandemic, especially for small clinics, because it allows remote monitoring of small clinics using less human personnel, hence lowering the hospital visits. Resources also become more efficiently managed by doing so. For example, rural clinics in Tamil Nadu use RPM to monitor diabetic patients for complications and to reduce readmission to hospitals.

7. Automated Appointment Scheduling and Patient Reminders: Many of these hospitals in the country automate appointment schedules to ensure ease of patient flow. The software sends SMS and email reminders to the patients to minimize no-show appointments, hence, helps in time and clinic management. At the same time, patients are able to log in to book, re-schedule, and cancel the appointment hence reducing much of the administrative aver burden on hospital workers. 

8. Electronic Prescription Generation (e-Prescribing): Indian doctors are famous for their bad handwriting.  E-prescribing has been gaining popularity in India’s healthcare scenario. Take the case of Narayana Health. This chain of hospitals took up the initiative toward e-prescribing with units spread across smaller towns. The prescriptions directly go to the pharmacy, thus cutting down chances of errors associated with slipshod prescriptions written by doctors. It has also made it easier to trace patients’ medication history, rendering better medication management and reducing the risk of adverse drug interactions. 

9. Telehealth platforms for Follow-Up Care: During the COVID-19 pandemic, Practo, one of India’s largest telemedicine platforms, experienced a massive surge in teleconsultations.  Clinics and small hospitals integrated telehealth into their practices for follow-up care, reducing travel burdens, which resulted in saving much time for visits physically to the healthcare providers. For example, small clinics in Kerala have applied telehealth to do follow-ups of chronic cases, reducing travel burdens and ensuring continuity of care.

10. Inventory Management Systems: How medical supplies are managed very efficiently has great significance for a small hospital. Medixcel is a healthcare technology company that provides various kinds of inventory management solutions in small and medium-sized hospitals across India. Shanti Memorial Hospital in Odisha has installed the Medixcel Inventory Management System software, through which they can keep track of the inventory and be sure the supplies are never missing, be it in quantity or variety. It reduces wastage and mismanagement through any medium. The system has been especially important for attaining resource efficiency during the pandemic. 

11. Patient Portals for Better Engagement: Manipal Hospitals has developed a patient portal through which patients can view their health records, test results, and communicate with healthcare providers.  Systems like these can also be emulated by small hospitals and peripheral clinics across the country. For example, Healthspring, a chain of primary-care clinics, has developed a patient portal which has tremendously improved patient satisfaction. It does so by having all the necessary health care information available at a patient’s fingertips and allowing patients to manage their appointments and records online.

12. Blockchain for Secure Health Data Management: Indian health care providers, although in a nascency stage, are eyeing blockchain technology for management of secured health data. Tech Mahindra and IBM have collaborated on developing a blockchain solution for health care in India, emphasizing the sharing and management of data securely. A small hospital or clinic could use this technology to have their health records tamper-proof, therefore maintaining data integrity and privacy while allowing seamless data sharing among health care providers.

14. Robotic Process Automation (RPA) for Administrative Tasks: RPA technologies have been successfully used at Hiranandani Hospital, Mumbai, to automate such traditionally-routine administration tasks as billing and claims processing. While it brings a reduction in administrative encumbrance to the staff, it shifts the staff’s efforts into patient care toward better outputs. It has also minimized the mistakes in data input procedures, smoothening the workflow processes, enormously increasing the efficiency of hospital operations.

15. Virtual Reality (VR) for Training and Education: VR is now becoming a training tool for medical professionals in India. Even the teaching programs at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi have included this technology where medical students and staff practice surgeries and other procedures on pretend—dummies. Other small hospitals and private clinics are following suit in regard to this technology for training staff in the most delicate procedures, so that when they eventually turn the patient, they will be well equipped.

16. mHealth Apps to Engage Patients: mHealth apps are really changing how patient engagement works in India. For example, the mMitra app is one of the ways in which important health-related content is delivered to pregnant women residing in unserved areas using mobile phones. Here, thousands of such women are reached per day to help them make better decisions in their life for the sake of health. Variable apps integrated into small-time clinics and hospitals are equally responsive to real-time engagement especially in rural areas—where healthcare access could be less.

17. Wearable Technology for Continuous Monitoring:  Gradually, wearables are getting into the Indian system of healthcare. Using an example, the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital uses wearables to monitor heart patients on a real-time, continuous basis—transmitting data to healthcare providers who could pick problems in early stages and intevene on time. Similar technologies that can be employed in small hospitals and clinics are to monitor chronic patients who do not need to visit a facility so frequently but be under continuous care.

18. Cloud-Based Health Information Systems: Cloud computing now offers the much-needed reprieve in the mode of adopting better ways for small hospitals to keep records of patients. Being a specialist maternity care corporation, Cloudnine Hospitals uses cloud-based systems for storing and retrieving patient documents safely. In consequence, healthcare professionals are able to access this information from anywhere, enabling better coordination and improved outcomes for patients. Small hospitals across the country are preparing to implement cloud solutions to fine-tune the management of data and be sure that records are not only accessible but secure.

18. AI Driven Chatbots for patient support:  So now, AI-driven chatbots support patients 24/7 in hospitals such as Fortis Healthcare. This chabot helps to schedule an appointment, arrange questions for frequently asked questions, even gives a health tip, thus offloading a greater portion of the workload from the staff at that hospital. Small clinics/hospitals can also implement a similar chabot in their websites and patient portals for getting better patient engagement and offloading their staff from getting loaded with work. 

18. Integration of IoT in Hospital Infrastructure:  With the advent of IoT, hospitals like Max Healthcare in New Delhi can constantly monitor medical devices, environmental conditions, and energy consumption through infrastructure. Finally, the small hospitals sector can optimize resource management, with medical equipment always present and in good working order and hospital environments constantly managed for optimized patient care.

Integrating Technology and Systems for Maximum Effectiveness:

Although the strategies of streamlining structure and leveraging technology are both powerful in their own right, their real value will be revealed when they are integrated. Small hospitals, by aligning organizational structure with available technology systems, set off a synergistic effect that optimizes small hospital efficiency and results in optimized patient care. 

EHR and Multidisciplinary Teams Combination: The use of EHR is combined with multidisciplinary teams in managing patient care, and this is seen in the case of Holy Family Hospital, Delhi.  The EHR system was adapted to support team-based care so that at any moment, any member of the team could enter a patient’s file.  This integration has allowed every member of the team to view the care management plan for a patient. Therefore, errors of sealing division may not occur, thus enhancing the provision of better care management. 

Telemedicine with Empowered Staff: For instance, the Christian Medical College in Vellore has enabled its very frontline staff to involve telemedicine tools in their use so that they can consult with specialists at different locations. Nurses and junior doctors were provided with initial assessment training for relevant information to be collected before the teleconsultations, making the procedure fast and assisting the doctors in focusing their attention only on complex cases. Empowering and integrating the technology with the staff improved the efficiency of the system and yielded an exceptional outcome regarding increasing access of specialized care for the patients within the rural areas. 

A Blueprint for Small Success in Digital Healthcare Systems:  For any small hospital in India, restructuring of organizational structures and infusion of technology is no longer an option but a compulsion for survival and success in the emerging competitive healthcare scenario. Small hospitals can achieve an efficient work culture, better patient care, and even have the up-front chance to compete in the marketplace with bigger entities through the adaptation of structural flatness, necessitation of a multi-disciplinary team, empowerment of the frontline, and tools of investment—be it Electronic Health Records, telemedicine, or hospital management software. Many small hospitals and clinics throughout the nation of India are increasingly adapting their own processes accordingly in order to work more efficaciously. The practical examples make it prove that if approached correctly, technology may become a strong facilitator of the small healthcare provider, not only surviving but actually thriving while delivering high-quality, accessible care to their communities, notwithstanding the challenging times they face. However, the technology comes at a cost and involves training and a steep learning curve. Nevertheless, the benefits are exponential.

Prof. Dr. Prahlada N. B
21 August 2024
Chitradurga.

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