Going digital: Trial run for paperless OPD in 4 Uttar Pradesh hospitals
As an alternative of receiving a conventional paper outpatient division (OPD) ticket at Lok Bandhu hospital’s counter, you could end up shocked to obtain a barcode or distinctive quantity. This distinctive identifier marks your participation in a digital OPD trial, a brand new initiative being examined.
Underneath this digital OPD system, docs will open on-line prescriptions on their desktop computer systems, outlining crucial exams and drugs. (FOR REPRESENTATION)
Sufferers visiting 4 authorities hospitals will probably be among the many first to expertise this modification, the place barcodes or distinctive numbers will exchange conventional OPD tickets. Underneath this digital OPD system, docs will open on-line prescriptions on their desktop computer systems, outlining crucial exams and drugs. This data will seamlessly switch to pathology and pharmacy departments.
Hindustan Instances – your quickest supply for breaking information! Learn now.
The Lok Bandhu Raj Narain hospital, together with Balrampur, Avantibai (girls’s), and Jhalkaribai (girls’s) hospitals, are piloting this paperless system for sufferers.
“We’ll begin this technique in a single OPD chamber. The purpose is to seek out the hurdles, from each hospital and affected person finish, in implementing the system,” mentioned Dr Ajai Shankar Tripathi, medical superintendent of the Lok Bandhu hospital.
Sharing the profit for a affected person below the brand new system Dr Himanshu Chaturvedi, medical superintendent of the Balrampur hospital mentioned: “Even when paper paperwork, together with prescriptions and diagnostic stories, go lacking, we are going to nonetheless have data that may be recalled by way of barcode.”
“So, when the identical affected person comes for observe up and says he misplaced paperwork, the physician can get his medical historical past on his laptop display,” mentioned Dr Chaturvedi.
After addressing challenges in these hospitals, the mannequin will probably be replicated statewide. “The idea is prepared and shortly the trial will start. Could also be within the month of March,” mentioned Dr AK Singh, director Balrampur hospital.
How will the system function?
Upon arriving on the OPD ticket counter, the affected person will present both their ABHA (Ayushman Bharat Well being Account) quantity or private particulars together with title, age, and tackle, together with their well being concern. Based mostly on this data, the employees will register the affected person below a particular OPD, resembling medication, and situation a barcode or token quantity. This barcode will probably be scanned on the OPD, opening a pc web page for prescription entry. If a token quantity is issued, it is going to serve the identical goal of opening the prescription.
As soon as the prescription is generated, will probably be saved. The affected person will then proceed to the pharmacy or diagnostic wing for medicine or exams. Entry to the affected person’s document will probably be granted by way of the identical means of scanning the barcode or coming into the token quantity. Following completion, the affected person’s document will stay obtainable on-line for subsequent visits, together with follow-ups.
Main challenges
With majority of the sufferers coming to authorities hospitals have little or no training about utilizing smartphones, and even come from poor monetary background. Utilizing a smartphone may very well be an issue.
“After your entire course of will get accomplished, the affected person can nonetheless demand a prescription on paper from the pharmacy. In the event that they (affected person) are unable to run smartphone we are going to present OPD prescription on paper. We received’t drive sufferers to go paperless however inspire them to take action,” mentioned Dr AK Singh, director Balrampur hospital.
In response to statistics one in each three cell customers in Uttar Pradesh operates a smartphone, and India had over 100 crore cell web customers in 2022. Nonetheless, not all smartphone customers, particularly these in rural areas, are aware of utilizing apps or downloading PDF or Excel sheets for sending diagnostic stories or prescriptions.
