patient empowerment through online healthcare-deepak padmanabhan

8/3/2019 Patient Empowerment Through Online Healthcare-Deepak Padmanabhan

1/8

Patient Empowerment through Online Healthcare

Introduction

Technology has found its way deep into our lives that the blurry line between usage of

technology and co-existence with technology has long disappeared. Internet and the web

is one such entity. With India seeing a phenomenal rise in the number of Internet users

and with the increasing awareness about the plethora of information available on the web,

the Health sector is not one to be left behind and it is seeing an increased number of

online takers. This has given rise to a number of health portals as well as online

consultation portals which brings in medical advice and care right to the people.

Floating online health portals is a fairly new business avenue which has many takers as

proven by the number of users of these sites. The popularity of such companies among

the investors is quite evident with the amount of investments made on them. In the last

few years the number of such sites is increasing, however only time will tell how many of

these will be economically viable and sustain the initial surge.

Internet usage in India has been rising at a steady pace with metros and urban cities

propelling this growth since 2000. According to a study by Internet and Mobile

Association of India, on an average there has been more than 30 per cent year-on-year

increase in the Internet adoption among urban population. Close watchers of the trend

point out that in another couple of years, India will become one of the countries in the

world having the largest number of internet users, second to China.

But, this teeming increase of usage is not only in the metro cities. Interestingly, there has

been high growth of users in non-metro cities lately, clearly indicating the mediums

popularity in these tier II cities. In contrast, there are few takers of technology in rural

India; however they are also catching up on the trend with reports predicting 24%

increase in users from rural areas by 2012.

This paper was submitted for eINDIA 2011 conference Page1


2/8

This trend clearly indicates that now more people are accessing the Internet on a regular

basis. What is even more eye catching is the number of people using the Internet for

health related searches. Indians are becoming more and more aware of their health and

healthcare needs and are increasingly using the internet to seek answers. According to

one of the health e-portal, 12% of all internet searches out of India are related to health.

And a staggering 40% Indians use Internet for health information.

Internet Customer Profile

Although the pundits in healthcare sector are interested in this rising avenue for growth

not many are aware of the profile of these Internet customers.

An international research released by Max Bupa in January 2011 has found that more

than one third Indians go online for health information. Additionally, higher levels of

education and income are associated with higher levels of online searching.

28% of the respondents in the higher income bracket made use of the Internet to search

for information often. Bupa Health Pulse 2010 also indicates that use of the internet to

search online for health information varies with age and its use drops sharply in those

aged 35 and over across the countries surveyed.

The survey also reveals that more people look for information on medicines and self-

diagnosis while surfing the net. Primary use of the internet for health purposes continues

to be finding information about medicines (68 per cent of respondents) in all countries

surveyed. Other uses include searching for information to make a self-diagnosis (46 per

cent) and seeking other patients experiences (39 per cent). The use of the internet for

interactive activities, such as emailing a medical professional, remains limited. According

to the survey 18 per cent of respondents use social networking sites to find out about

healthcare issues.

Online Consultation Opportunities



3/8

A patient portal offers the benefit of more engaged, involved patients. As defined by the

Center for Advancing Health (http://www.cfah.org) engagement includes the actions

individuals must take to obtain the greatest benefit from the healthcare services available

to them.

In contrast to compliance, which suggests a patient obey a providers directive,

engagement means a patient is involved in a process through which he harmonizes

robust information and professional advice with his own needs, preferences and abilities

in order to prevent, manage and cure disease, says CFAH.

Patients come first, but the best patient portals are designed around the lives, workflow

needs and priorities of both patients and providers. Providers who use a patient portal

gain a newfound power and ease to streamline appointments, track patient care,

accelerate the pre-admission process and reduce the costs of admissions and

readmissions. Patients, in turn, can tap into a portal to enter health history, monitor test

results, access provider-driven education and collaborate with clinicians.

As much as the rising trend in health searches online has opened new doors for business,

it has also given the busy doctors a new platform to interact with their patients. Many

doctors feel that web presence is definitely a boon for their profession in todays world.

Doctors are reachable to the people either through their own personal websites or through

the websites of the hospitals they are associated with. Nevertheless, the trend to have an

online consultation is on the rise.

The reach of technology has enabled people to use online health-related information to

help them understand various health related issues and make more informed choices. In a

country like ours, use of internet and social media will be a key source for seeking health

care information and advice.

With Medical tourism becoming an increased avenue for the doctors in India, it is

becoming more preferable to the Physicians and Hospitals to have websites showcasing



4/8

their details, ready to provide necessary information to care-seekers world-wide. Such

websites and portals are designed to include information about various treatments being

offered, surgery techniques, success stories and accomplishments. It also allows

continuity of care for patients who travel far and wide and gives information on the

doctors skills and achievements which may not always be easy to communicate with the

patients in short consultation.

Why Online Consultations?

Online consultations are not only convenient they are the need of the hour. The main

factors limiting the access to face-to-face consultations in India are time constraints, lack

of organized information about doctors, lack of ease in accessibility of consultation

beyond physical boundaries and mobility. These limiting factors have in turn increased

the rate of growth for online consultations/portals. In addition, the availability of

Broadband access, patient awareness and familiarity with online payment mechanism are

propelling the growth of online consultation in India.

One of the primary benefits of online portals is that patient choice can be increased as a

result of better access to health information. Moreover, better information about how to

maintain good health may have public health benefits. Patients are empowered by being

better informed of their symptoms; whenever they start feeling worried about certain

symptoms, they can check online first and gain some understanding of the disease and

treatment options. Online health information may also be used to fill in perceived gaps in

the information provided by healthcare professionals.

The use of internet services is particularly popular with some population groups, such as

young people, who have been shown to make use of online health information because

they value the anonymity and quick response.

Access to good online health information can potentially reduce the amount of contact

time between health professionals and the worried well (i.e. individuals who go to a



5/8

medical facility with no discernible signs of ill health, or who are experiencing minor

health problems such as coughs that may be managed without the need for medical

consultation); this can free up resources that can be re-directed to people with

diagnosable/severe diseases.

While there are many positive impacts, it is imperative to understand that there is a

number of potential trade-offs between more empowerment and choice versus the risk of

misleading information, misdiagnosis and unnecessary treatments.

Challenges

It should be noted that some challenges with the internet go well beyond its use for

healthcare purposes. These concerns include data protection and worries about the

security of information, risk of fraud and identity theft, etc

A key issue is the veracity of online health information. The benefits primarily rely upon

the patients ability to make informed choices. We have to consider the fact that not all

consumers are knowledgeable enough to distinguish between high and low quality

information. Hence, increasing individual awareness of the need to make use of online

health information with caution is something that needs to be undertaken

Website users should be made aware of the potential influence of sponsors on third party

websites. Users should also obtain information on who runs each website and the

registered address of the organization.

Online healthcare portals are a budding market. To get an estimated size of the market

one can look at the estimated number of users online or number of people who have

credit card and online banking facility. Considering this fact, it will show that online

consultation is a sizable market. This is also further evident by the fact that there are

already many sites mushrooming online to grab the share of this market. Some of the



6/8

known names in this segment are Healthcaremagic.com, TopDoctorsOnline.com,

Ask4healthcare.com, MediAngels.com, and IndiaHeartBeat.com

Some of these internet-based platforms work to connect doctors and patients round the

clock through live chats, electronically maintained health records and open forum

discussions on symptoms. In addition their services also include searches to help locate

an authenticated doctor, fix appointments and help store medical reports and scans online

to be accessed by a doctor at any given time. These websites not only direct a patient to

his closest doctor, but also connect him to an international specialist for a second opinion.

Revenue Model

Some of the services on these sites, such as the open forum discussions on symptoms

posted by individuals, are free, whereas private chats with GPs and specialists can range

anywhere from Rs 100 to Rs 5,000. Apart from the fee that the sites charge as a

percentage of the doctors fee, corporate clients, advertising, retailing and annual

subscription by hospitals on the networks also help monetize these businesses

Investment and Growth

The growing popularity of online portals is evident by the investor interest in such

ventures. HealthCare Magic raised funds close to $2.5 million from early-stage fund

Accel Partners in 2009, its second year of operations. The Mumbai-based startup firm

which launched its operations in January 2011 has raised seed funding of Rs 3 crore from

HDFC Private Equity. Both TopDoctorsOnline.com and Ask4health.com are looking to

raise funds for further expansion..



7/8

Conclusion

Online consultation and potential use of internet for health-related purposes is indeedpromising. There is however some benefits as well as challenges in accessing health-

related information via the internet and the government should consider what steps may

be taken to improve the potential of using the internet for health-related purposes.

One of the most crucial benefits to the patients is that the online health information

empowers the consumers to make better informed choices about their health and

healthcare needs and can help reach population groups that would not otherwise have

come into contact with face-to-face healthcare services.

References

1. BUPA Health PULSE 2010

2. I-CUBE 2009 2010 Internet in India

Bio

Deepak Padmanabhan works as Lead Business Analyst in the Health IT field. His areasof interests include Health Reforms, ICD-10, and Health Innovations. He is a certifiedProject Management Professional (PMP) and Fellow, Academy of HealthcareManagement (FAHM)

Name: Deepak PadmanabhanAddress: 23/205, Malaysian Township North Phase, Kukatpally, Hyderabad 500072Email: [email protected]: +91-9701768420

mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


8/8


patient empowerment through online healthcare-deepak padmanabhan

Documents