The burden of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) is growing across the world. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), NCDs kill 41 million people each year, equivalent to 74 percent of all deaths globally.
According to studies, the burden of NCDs on India is long-lasting given that 65 percent of the country’s population is below 35 years of age. In an email interaction with Financial Express.com, Mallari Kulkarni, Director, Digital LifeCare, Dell Technologies talked about rising incidence of NCDs in India and the role of technology in tackling this challenge, Dell Technologies’ role in the segment, upcoming plans among others. Dell Technologies has developed Digital LifeCare, a technology platform designed to assist Government of India’s national NCD program at a population scale. The company claims that it is a future-ready technology platform on which healthcare systems can be integrated digitally, enabling continuum of care for patients, improving productivity of the deployed healthcare workers and officials and execution of programs at scale. Excerpts:
Can you tell us about Digital LifeCare and how the platform is enabling digital inclusion?
Our commitment to advance sustainability, cultivate inclusion, transform lives and uphold trust is core to who we are and how we deliver technology that drives business and society forward. We believe our scale, support and the innovative application of our product portfolio can play an important role in addressing complex societal challenges. This includes driving digital inclusion – making sure that everyone has access technology and the opportunities it provides regardless of location or socioeconomic background.
As part of our ESG commitment, we have a goal to positively transform 1 billion lives with technology and a prominent initiative in this pursuit, is Digital LifeCare. Digital LifeCare is designed to help address the growing challenge of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) on a population scale in India, Dell developed Digital LifeCare as Ministry of Health & Family Welfare’s (MoHFW) technology partner for its NCD program. The MoHFW’s objective is to assess, monitor and treat population ages 30 and above for diabetes, hypertension, oral, breast and cervical cancers. At its core, the Digital LifeCare platform functions as a comprehensive digital healthcare solution, to empower frontline healthcare workers and doctors across primary and secondary levels to screen, diagnose and manage NCDs. It therefore enables a continuum of care across different levels throughout the patient journey.
With the on-field partnership from the Tata Trusts, Dell’s Digital LifeCare technology is empowering healthcare workers to become digitally skilled, and effectively deliver health services to millions of Indian citizens. From on the field activation to gaining value from data, the principles of digital inclusion are key in enabling the effectiveness and success of Digital LifeCare.
There is a rise in incidences of non-communicable diseases in India. According to you, what role can technology play in tackling this challenge?
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) remain a significant public health concern in India, accounting for 61% of all deaths (Burden of NCDs in India, WHO). The silent nature of many NCDs, often lacking early symptoms, underscores the need for comprehensive care from screening to long-term management to improve health outcomes. Leveraging technology is critical to revolutionize the management of NCDs, at a population scale as large as that of India.
- Adoption of open-source technology: Embracing open-source solutions can transform the healthcare ecosystem, providing flexibility, scalability, and cost-effectiveness in IT infrastructure. This shift not only reduces financial barriers for healthcare companies but also empowers them with actionable insights. These insights facilitate informed decision-making, ensuring consistent and targeted patient care.
- Incorporating interoperability to enhance the patient care experience: Manual data collection and disparate reporting often lead to data duplication and poor quality. Interoperable systems ensure secure data storage, enabling healthcare officials to track patient care journeys seamlessly. This integration enhances coverage, continuity, and the quality of NCD services, significantly contributing to the expansion of India’s healthcare landscape. Digital LifeCare is built to be interoperable, using open source, modular, scalable and secure technology that allows varied users to engage with patients, capture data and deliver assessments with regard to patient care.
- Utilising technology for education and engagement: By empowering healthcare workers with technology, they can keep track of patients who are likely to disengage due to lack of awareness. Frontline healthcare workers can better identify risk factors, provide timely help, and guide patients to adhere to treatment plans. The role of technology in healthcare is set to grow, and the deployment of engagement technology tools by healthcare professionals will enhance patient education and empowerment.
What is the expansion plan for Digital LifeCare?
In FY23, Digital LifeCare saw a 94% increase in enrollments compared to the previous year, resulting in 238 million individuals enrolled across 33 Indian states. Tata Trusts, as the implementation partner of the NCD program, has trained over 110,000 healthcare professionals. The Indian government’s approach towards NCD screening, treatment and management is to continue to build on the success of this program and improve NCD management for millions. Notably, the NCD program has over 29 million ABHA numbers created and over 10 million health records linked by integrating Digital LifeCare.
How do you see technology playing a key role in the overall healthcare sector? Any future trends that you foresee?
Technology has fundamentally changed the social needs of communities around the world. As our reliance on technology grows, we must ensure society can keep up with this growth. At Dell, we’re using technology to address systemic issues for underserved communities, supporting large-scale, partner-led social programs through infrastructure support and creation of open-source software, open data, open artificial intelligence (AI) models, open standards and open content, also known as digital public goods, that help attain the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Dell’s Digital LifeCare demonstrates our commitment and contribution towards SDG 3.4 goal. In India, the government’s mission to enable the society with key healthcare services, points at a prominent shift towards rapid technology adoption, which is poised to alleviate the burden on both patients and healthcare centers, ultimately optimizing the delivery of care.
