Health issues costs India 1% of the economy
A comprehensive exploration of ROX gaining more recognition in the healthcare sector with Gautam Khanna, CEO of PD Hinduja Hospital and Medical Research Centre.
“The number of days lost in the country because of health issues when people are physically not well, costs close to 1 per cent of the economy. It is a big loss to the country and to the people,” said Gautam Khanna, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of PD Hinduja Hospital and Medical Research Centre, Mumbai.
Healthcare needs to be made an area of priority in India and is a sector that is on the fast path to innovation, owing to changing mindsets about what a medical facility should look like and also the advent of digital technologies like Artificial Intelligence to streamline practices.
In the latest episode of Life’s True Value, a special series that explores the true value of Return on Experience (ROX), a concept that is slowly gaining priority in the healthcare sector, Khanna spoke about how hospitals are changing the way they operate to offer the best ROX to their customers, who for them are the patients and their families.
“When a patient comes to a healthcare facility for treatment, what they are looking for is the treatment of their clinical condition, plus they are also looking for things which are not clinical – the experience of the environment, how you deal with the relatives, how they are dealt with in non-clinical situations. So, from the perspective of healthcare, one of the most important things is that the patient needs to have trust in the healthcare facility, in the doctor and in the healthcare services,” he said.
Improving ROX for patients
An alumnus of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur and Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Calcutta, he spoke about how we are transitioning from a single clinic set-up to developing healthcare facilities that offer an overall experience and ROX has a major role to play in this.
“I think the way we are going, the health sector is evolving. Earlier, we were in a single clinic point of view, where there was a doctor and there was a prescription and treatment. Now, we are moving to a facility where the patients are looking for an overall experience, adding to their healthcare outcomes. So, I think it really is important, and all of us, including us at the Hinduja hospital, are trying to improve that,” he said.
There are several measures that Hinduja hospital has initiated to improve the ROX for patients visiting the hospital, including offering the right environment with modern equipment and the best staff to make every minute spent at the hospital comfortable for those who come there in their time of need.
“I think Return on Experience is a very valuable concept. In our case, the value that our customers (patients and relatives) get out of the experience of visiting a healthcare facility or any other business – in terms of their wellbeing, mental satisfaction, how they are able to be satisfied with the outcome which they get leads to financial outcome for the business. So the financial results are actually dependent on the return on experience,” he said.
He also stressed on ROX for his staff at Hinduja hospital, who are working for their passion to do good to society at large.
“One of the things we have to think about in a healthcare setting is all the people who work in healthcare, they are all committed to actually delivering good healthcare outcomes to the patient. If the employees are satisfied and happy, they will ensure that the patient is taken care of. So for good patient care, I need to take care of the employees. We think about it in aspects of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health,” Khanna added.
Leveraging technology to improve healthcare
Hinduja hospital is making use of new-age technologies like AI to improve healthcare outcomes. “Hospitals and healthcare have adopted digital. Earlier, patients had to stand in queues to get their investigation reports. Now, it’s available online. You can get appointments online. You can pay online. That is an easy digitisation,” he said.
The other places where AI is developing is remote monitoring of patients, which Hinduja hospital has started doing in the wards where nurse stations are equipped with screens displaying vitals of all the patients. The minute there is a shift in say Blood Pressure or Heart Rate, the monitor alerts the nurse and immediate medical attention can be given. So, even as nurses continue their regular patient visits, AI acts as an additional safeguard ensuring that critical patients receive immediate medical attention even if no one is nearby. Using this AI-led support, the lives of three patients were saved as medical intervention was administered at the right time.
“AI is also helping in developing the diagnosis in non-radiology areas, where there are multiple parameters to be seen. For example, it will analyse the history of the patient and give a pattern – like based on the last 20 years history, these are the things you need to look for,” he said.
So, will AI replace consultants in the years to come? “If some people believe that tomorrow, AI is going to replace consultants and doctors, I don’t think that is going to happen. The consultants will be aided by AI,” he further added.
The future of healthcare in India
Looking into the future of healthcare, he said: “The hospitals are today actually treating the sick. What I would like to do, and I think most CEOs are looking at is, can we transform hospitals into a healthcare space where we actually take care of the community health. This includes focus on prevention, on general well being of the ecosystem and if you are unwell, then you come to the hospital and we’ll treat you. I think it is transitioning, and I am happy to be trying to be a part of it.”
When asked what are the two important aspects of the healthcare space which must focus on, he said one is preventive health and the second is adequate medical cover.
“One is that people need to focus on preventive health by doing regular health check-ups, having adequate diet, exercise etc, to ensure that they prevent healthcare diseases from manifesting, if they can. The costs of healthcare are increasing and will continue to increase for the next few decades. So, people need to have adequate insurance so that they have the ability to pay for healthcare expenses. Without having adequate treatment, they won’t be cured. Remember to use the best resources to cure yourself, which is best technology, best equipment, best facility, etc,” Khanna advised.
At a personal level, Khanna is conscious about his health – both physical and mental – and likes to keep stress at bay by walking, meditating and going to the gym. “I love the greenery. I love the mountains. I like open spaces,” he said.
Note to the Reader: This article has been produced on behalf of the brand by HT Brand Studio and does not have journalistic/editorial involvement of Hindustan Times.