How is Telemedicine changing the face of EMS in India?

India is the second most crowded country and the largest democracy in the world. Despite this, emergency care in India is still fragmented due to the unavailability of emergency medical services (EMS) in various parts of the country.

According to the Department of Road Transport and Highways, in 2016, almost four hundred deaths occurred on Indian roads every day. In addition, it is reported that out of a million people, 42,800 experience sudden cardiac arrest each year.

In a severe emergency, an Ambulance service in Delhi with paramedics provides immediate first-aid and moves the patients to the hospital.

With the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, digital solutions have come to the fore to provide easy and timely access to care without having to be physically present in the doctor's room.

Telemedicine services are changing the approach to care by avoiding overcrowding in emergency services and ensuring the appropriate safety and well-being of healthcare professionals in emergency care settings.

Telemedicine to support emergency care

EMS providers developed emergency services to provide timely and immediate assistance in time-sensitive situations. For any medical emergency, EMS acts as the one-stop shop for patients suffering from stroke, trauma, and other medical emergencies.

However, due to understaffing, overcrowding, and lack of necessary resources, emergency services in the country often fail to meet the needs and expectations of the public. This is where the force of technology becomes an integral factor.

Patients can be pre-screened from the comfort of their own homes, during transport to the hospital, or upon arrival at the emergency room using telemedicine services.

This can significantly reduce the time it takes to provide immediate care to emergency patients.

Telemedicine in Rural Emergency:

In the case of rural emergency medicine, the role of Telemedicine should never be underestimated. Telemedicine makes it possible to treat different centers simultaneously with the help of a specialist.

Various patient care sites can also connect to a central hub using telemedicine services, helping to encourage more regional care.

Telemedicine services are now having an effect in the distant uneven districts of Himachal Pradesh.

Telemedicine has built the highest telemedicine center globally at 14,000 feet above sea level. The health services in this Telehealth include emergency medical assistance and primary and specialized telemedicine services, which save lives through technology.

One of the biggest challenges facing rural emergency departments in India is the lack of trained and qualified professionals. In addition, with the high staff variability, the problem of variation in skills, experience, and training arises.

Through provider-to-provider models, Telemedicine can facilitate experience sharing and fill educational gaps by providing cognitive support to a non-emergency practitioner who lacks experience and training in an emergency department.

Around 1.8 million people suffer a stroke in India each year, and only early treatment can reduce the chances of morbidity and mortality.

When a person suffers a stroke, they lose almost 2 million brain cells every minute as a blockage or rupture in the blood prevents oxygen from reaching the brain.

It is almost impossible to know if the patient has a blockage or bleeding, and improper treatment can be fatal.

With Telemedicine programs, it is increasingly possible to connect hospitals to a neurologist to review a CT scan and discuss the best course of action with h the onsite doctor.

Telemedicine programs reduce the time from door to treatment and help improve patient outcomes.

Technological advances that may transform emergency medical services

Technology may be the best answer to some of the most prevalent and complex problems in EMS for aging and rapidly growing population.

The recent digital revolution has fundamentally changed how information is stored, processed, and communicated.

Additionally, the advent of wireless, solid broadband networks, powerful mobile computers, and extensive data analytics can play a significant role in defining how emergency medical services will be designed and delivered to the citizens of India in the future.

Here are some of the ways technology is making a difference at:

Ambulance Connect Service:

Although this is not a new technology, its adoption in India has been very slow. In real-time, connected emergency services enable a new way to connect patients, remote medical experts, and emergency responders.

Linked to GPS and cameras, as well as hand-held ECG machines, these ambulances can relay critical information to doctors and emergency rooms before the patient even gets to the hospital.

An integrated and networked system of health records and a connected database management system allow emergency services to share a patient's medical history with the Emergency.

This can improve the chances of saving someone's life in an emergency.

The Emergency Department can make informed decisions and achieve good health outcomes with shared information.

Currently, paramedics and ambulance personnel do not have access to patient medical records, which limits their understanding of a patient's health conditions.

Especially in India, where paramedic training is not yet standardized, the lack of information can negatively impact how a diagnosis is made.

Sometimes, when emergency medical personnel (ALS) arrive and know what to do, a lot depends on the patient's medical history.

Predictive Analytics

Predictive Analytics can improve pace and effectively manage patient workflow administration.

This data-driven solution enables monitoring hospital admissions and discharges, alerting onsite paramedics of bed availability, connecting to EMS systems, and enabling emergency room workers, physicians, and healthcare organizations to reduce delay rates and improve healthcare outcomes.

Predictive Analytics also enables healthcare providers to identify potential areas for ambulance placement based on past data.

This can reduce ambulance dispatch and response time and enables hospitals or healthcare providers to efficiently and intelligently manage their resources and minimize admission and waiting time.

Digitization in healthcare

The Indian government has actively promoted digitization in healthcare.

The government, public and private sectors have developed the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) program.

This focuses on the development of the health sector. This scheme encapsulates the development ideology of Telemedicine to make it effective, safe, efficient, and patient-centric.

The way to the goal

In the coming years, increasing technological advances will lead to greater acceptance by patients and physicians, and the use of Telemedicine will experience unprecedented growth.

Greater adoption will also help develop other areas such as tele-ICU, teleophthalmology, teledermatology, and teleradiology.

Hanumancare, a professionally managed organization, provides all Ambulance service in Delhi, Delhi NCR, Bihar, Jharkhand, and parts of western Uttar Pradesh.

You can call 9264198199 directly. You can write to us at [email protected].

Technological innovation remains key to addressing the challenging EMS landscape in India. As telemedicine solutions continue to mature and patient and provider acceptance rates improve.

The medical services will undergo massive changes, and Hanuman will provide emergency treatment at a much lower cost than the Emergency department.