Telehealth, the smart avatar of healthcare

Technology need not always be complicated and hi-tech to deliver healthcare services. There have been many instances wherein simple technologies have gone a long way in changing the shape of healthcare delivery mechanism in the country.

One such simple yet effective technology that recently found its feet, equally among patients and doctors in India, is telehealth care services. The first telehealthcare service in India was launched around 2001-02. However, for a long time, telehealth not only in Telangana but across the country was at the fringes, as patients and doctors steadfastly avoided it.

While the idea of patients remotely meeting a doctor was promising, telehealthcare services never really took off in India because patients and caregivers preferred physical consultations at hospitals.

However, the Covid pandemic once and for all changed that perception. Due to the threat of hospital infections during the pandemic, patients and doctors quickly adopted telehealth in a big way. Within a short span of just two years, telehealth has now become an accepted way for patients to consult a doctor. On its part, the Telangana government also has leveraged telehealth care facilities to launch unique services for patients.

HITAM initiative of Telangana

The Home Isolation and Treatment and Monitoring Protocol (HITAM) launched by the Telangana government during the Covid pandemic was not only embraced by patients but also drew appreciation from NITI Aayog, which in its report ‘Home-Based Management of Covid-19’ praised and documented the initiative.

The HITAM strategy involved quickly identifying Covid-positive patients and assessing those who needed home isolation. The tele-callers were trained to identify critical Covid cases so that they can be referred to a senior doctor and for hospitalisation. The callers were made aware of emergency ambulances and Covid-19 hospitals for quick transportation and admission.

During peak Covid, the Telangana government operated a dedicated telehealth call centre to provide counselling and care instructions to patients. Facilities such as telemedicine consultations, distress management through 24×7 inbound calls and emergency management through 108 linkups and transfer facilities to the hospital were provided to patients. The inbound 20-seater call centre, with a capacity to take 1,500-2,000 calls a day, was working in two shifts. The telemedicine call centre attended nearly 1,000 calls a day and provided information to around 10,000 Covid patients who are under home isolation.

Mental health call centre

Recently, the State government, in collaboration with the union Health Ministry, launched a unique remote mental health support for individuals seeking help and guidance. The tele-mental health call centre with 25 counsellors and three psychiatrists is providing remote consultations to desperate persons experiencing mental breakdowns and those who are on the verge of ending their lives by suicide.
The toll-free mental health call centre will closely work with senior psychiatrists from the Institute of Mental Health (IMH), Erragadda, so that callers, if needed, can be provided inpatient facilities at the government mental health centre.

Tele-dialysis in Telangana

In another unique initiative, the State government has established tele-dialysis facilities. It recently directed NIMS to launch this facility. The tele-dialysis facilities enable senior nephrologists at NIMS, Gandhi Hospital and OGH to remotely provide OPD consultations to kidney patients undergoing free dialysis. The tele-dialysis facilities will also allow nephrologists to remotely track the health of high-risk kidney patients, which could decrease hospitalisations.