Patients are the number one consumers of healthcare services. Service providers need them to ensure their investment does not turn to white elephants, whether they are for profit or not for profit. Providers have invested in resources to have the facilities in place – money, time human resource has been in billions of shillings across the industry.
As technology advances, more and more of patients are seeking for services in facilities that are engaging in user friendly technology that aids in reduced time at facilities, less, if in, any paperwork and ease of making appointments or receiving their medications on time. The scenario has drastically changed from what the owners of facilities making unilateral decisions based on their needs and more incorporating the changing culture of their clients.
With nations geared towards attaining 100% UHC by 2022/23, the implementors are faced with the huge task of ensuring that the patients’ needs and requirements are incorporated in the micro and macro processes. Jayesh Saini believes that at least 60-65% of the current population that access healthcare want a service provider with strong and reliable internet/online based presence. He notes that busyness of life, tight schedules with so much to do within a day are some of the reasons why individuals want access while they are multitasking to maximize on the perceived time.
Progressing towards UHC therefore will require robust technology that integrates the entire process. In Kenya for example, the government, through NHIF, is all geared up to enroll the populace for UHC. According to the amendments that have been passed in Parliament, it is compulsory for all individuals over 18 years to be enrolled in the NHIF medical scheme. This is a huge population of almost 60% of total population translating to over 36 million lives. The relevant information needs to be correctly and accurately in a timely manner. It would be a toll order asking the participants to queue in the NHIF offices or even at the place of first seeking services. This is where a robust technology is required. Jayesh Saini says that the government, though the implementor and custodian of these data cannot manage it on its own and there is need for cross-functional collaboration with the private sector. This will ensure that all the various aspects of the IT are incorporated and there is minimized error and down time.
He appreciates that digital transformation is a process that takes diligence, patience, consistency and continuous assessment in a technologically changing world to attain digital maturity. He is also careful to say there is never a time when 100% digital maturity will be reached because of the ever discovery and creation of new digital ideas. The country would say it has therefore reached maturity digitally when its patients are comfortable and the relevant providers and stakeholders are all working peaceably together to ensure healthcare is affordable, accessible and of good quality. Such parameters include capabilities for advanced provider search, appointment scheduling, profitable acquisitions based on data collected, ROI, pricing, patient trends, diseases trends and expansion needs amongst others
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