A few weeks ago, critical care expert Dr N Ramakrishnan was sipping coffee at a Chennai hotel when he learnt on his mobile phone of a massive heart attack of a patient in a Trichy hospital. Even before he finished his coffee, he ensured that the duty doctor in the ICU dragged a crash cart to revive the patient who survived. Using mobile technology, Dr Ramakrishnan and his team of doctors provide from Chennai expert guidance to several ICU units in tier 2 and tier 3 cities across the country.
Dr Ulhas M Pandurangi, director of the department of cardiac electrophysiology at Madras Medical Mission, never knew the condition of most of his patients until they showed up in the emergency room. Today, he uses his mobile phone, his tablets or laptop to monitor them from their homes. Medical devices attached to a patient alert doctors of any crisis. “The patient is told when he should rush to the hospital. Everything is kept ready for the patient to arrive at the hospital and a lot of time is saved,” says Dr Ulhas.
Advances in biosciences have always been a great help, but never before in India has it been driven to this degree by digital technology. On Sunday, senior doctors will gather at Chennai’s St Isabel’s Hospital for the mHealth Chennai Summit to discuss “how mobile apps can change the wait you work today for a better tomorrow.” It will include talks by experts, ophthalmologists to plastic surgeons.
Neonatologist and paediatrician Dr Mythili Rajagopalan feels gadgets, apps and web-based information available for doctors help them diagnose symptoms and treat patients better. They can obtain, share and discuss patient information and treatment methods at great speed, even in emergencies.
Doctors abroad widely test and use apps that guide them on the right dosage of medicines or help narrow down on diagnosis. “We are not there yet, but if we make an effort we would,” says Dr Mythili. Chennai has apps for doctors to figure out the nearest labs for specific tests. Some institutions like Apollo Hospitals are attempting to digitalize medical records and conduct consumer surveys online.
Dr Mythili’s office uses a special app that sends messages to her patient’s parents alerting them about vaccine dates for their children. She also has a personalized reminder she uses to wish all her little patients on their birthdays. “It helps maintain a personal relationship with both parents and children,” she says.
