Cloud computing has been hailed unanimously as a positive development for the healthcare industry. Thanks to the cloud, medical professionals can easily track, store, and analyze data, improving both research and patient care.
Perhaps one of the most notable applications of new cloud technology is the enhanced capability to provide care to patients in remote areas. This may sound counterintuitive, as most cloud systems are dependent on a robust Internet connection to operate at their fullest, but a health technology company has created a cloud platform capable of operating at low bandwidth, addressing some of the hurdles faced when implementing these systems.
While India offers free healthcare to its citizens, its system is far from perfect, as the 70% of citizens that live in remote villages are often unable to receive attention as readily as their urban counterparts. To attempt to bring some balance to the healthcare market in the country, Sameer Sawarkar and Rajeev Kumar recently released ReMeDi (Remote Medical Diagnostics) to allow individuals with little training to represent doctors in remote areas.
Kumar and Sawarkar’s company, Neurosynaptic Communications, has dispatched medical technicians to over 2,000 villages across India to provide on-site examinations. The technicians use ReMeDi to gather basic information about patients, entering it all into a cloud-based medical repository. Patient information is then reviewed by an offsite doctor, who can provide recommendations and diagnoses based on the provided data. Additionally, an audio/video connection allows for personal consultations between doctors and patients.
And, as with any other cloud system, it gets better the more data is gathered. Studying health trends based on Big Data can help detect early signs of certain ailments and lead to administration of potentially lifesaving care. The integration that cloud computing provides is helpful not only for managing a large number of patients, but for fueling future research and innovation.
Other diagnostic platforms, such as Sana, Intelehealth, and CliniPAK, seek to solve similar issues as ReMeDi. Sawarkar has been ardent about the potential changes that ReMeDi can make to the Indian healthcare system, with the stated goal of lowering costs for companies and enabling more rapid delivery of health services, something that ultimately benefits patients. To that end, he has stated that the basic cost for a consultation under this new platform is under a dollar.
India’s healthcare system does little to service outlying areas, and as a result, many residents of remote villages seek out private healthcare, which can be costly for families and individuals with little income. 80% of Indians use private healthcare, and costs to travel and receive medical attention are financially crippling to many. This is the root of Sawarkar’s excitement with ReMeDi; what would require hours or even days of travel and weeks worth of wages can now be accomplished in the villages that need attention.
Sawarkar has strived to make ReMeDi as flexible as possible, and the platform is capable of running on a wide range of devices. With the market for cloud-based healthcare systems growing, Sawarkar intends to expand distribution of the platform in India as well as developing countries without decent access to healthcare.
Currently, ReMeDi is used in eight countries, including Bangladesh, Ghana, and Kenya. With African countries facing similar issues with disadvantaged citizens in remote areas, it stands to reason that their governments will be similarly interested in improving healthcare distribution.