E-HEALTH IN INDIA: MARKET POTENTIAL AND ITS CHALLENGES
Nitesh Gunjan* and Rajarshi Dasgupta
ABSTRACT
As healthcare enterprises seek to move towards an integrated,
sustainable healthcare delivery model an IT enabled or online
healthcare strategy is being increasingly adopted. In this study we
identified the critical success factors influencing the effectiveness of an
e-Healthcare strategy in India. The performance assessment criteria
used to measure effectiveness were increasing reach and reducing cost
of healthcare delivery. It involves the speedy transmission of patient
data related to consultations, diagnostic and therapeutic services,
patient education and rehabilitative services among the providers, the
consumers, the planners and researchers. E-Health, broadly defined as
the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in
health, can make a world of difference in all developed and developing countries. Most
notable attribute of e-Health is that it is enabling the transformation of the health system from
one that is narrowly focused on curing diseases in hospitals by health professionals, to a
system focused on keeping citizens healthy by providing them with information to take care
of their health whenever the need arises, and wherever they may be. The present paper
discusses the challenges and opportunities in ICT implementation in health care specific to
Indian scenario.
Keywords: e-health, e-health challenges, healthcare, ICT, IT, online healthcare.
[Full Text Article]