Digitizing Healthcare in Low and Middle-Income Countries.
Technology is changing healthcare delivery in every corner of the globe. Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) are now leapfrogging the richer economies as health tech is more affordable and readily available. Digital technology has increased healthcare accessibility and improved affordability and efficiency. Digitizing healthcare in LMICs should be a priority since it will benefit their populations significantly.
Some of the digital transformation trends in healthcare in LMICs:
Telemedicine: This is the use of technology to provide healthcare services remotely. It includes video consultations, remote monitoring, and digital health records. In LMICs, healthcare infrastructure is often limited. Telemedicine can bridge the infrastructure gap by making it possible to reach previously unreachable segments of the population. According to the WHO, Telemedicine is most useful to rural people, where access to healthcare is usually scarce. Telemedicine has also shown to be very effective in delivering care during travel disruptions, e.g., during the recent pandemic.
Electronic Health Records (EHRs): These are electronic versions of a patient's medical records, including diagnoses, medications, treatment plans, etc. EHRs can make it easy for healthcare providers to provide accurate and timely patient care. In LMICs, legacy paper-based medical records are still prevalent. EHRs can improve efficiency and reduce costly medical errors.
Mobile Health (mHealth): Mobile devices, such as smartphones, tablets, and wearables, such as smartwatches and trackers, have been used for over a decade to deliver healthcare in the developed world. In LMICs, smartphone use is widespread; therefore, mHealth solutions can use smartphones and wearables to make healthcare services accessible to more segments of the population, especially those living in remote locations.
Artificial Intelligence (AI): AI uses in healthcare has steadily grown. AI is now improving diagnosis, treatment, and patient outcomes. In LMICs, where healthcare professionals are scarce, AI can augment healthcare delivery in areas such as disease diagnosis and public health.
Digital transformation is changing how we deliver healthcare. The upward trend of using technology to augment healthcare delivery in LMICs increases access and improves quality and efficiency. Telemedicine, EHRs, mHealth, and AI are some healthcare digital transformation trends in LMICs. While there are challenges to implementing these technologies, the benefits are significant, and they can improve the lives of millions of people.
