“The sector needs to adopt technologies with an open mind”

Pramod Sharda

In the healthcare industry, the adoption of digital tools has been a bit slow as compared to the other industries. However, this slow adoption witnessed an immense surge during the COVID-19 pandemic in order to brace the recovery and to reconcile the damage incurred due to the deadly virus. Notably, in a very less time, COVID-19 became a reason for disruption for most of the industries including the healthcare industry, be it hospitals, pharmaceuticals, medical devices and equipment manufacturers, etc. Using technology, the healthcare industry especially in India completely changed the way in which they used to operate.

In a bid to bring down the number of COVID-19 cases or simply controlling the spread of the contagious virus, collaborative and communication tools played a pivotal role. In these tough times, while the industry has been putting in their heart and soul working day in and out to support and match the pace with their unwavering spirit, without collaborative communication the situation could have been devastating. COVID-19 has certainly transformed and made the nation aware of the importance of digitization even when we all are bound to stay inside our homes.

Overall collaborative solutions have been a big help to the healthcare industry. These include unified communication solutions that connect the healthcare teams inside and out, improves access to medical information and data, enables quick decision making due to the smooth flow of information between healthcare teams, better healthcare updates, and higher security of patient records and personal information.

Collaborative solutions have been a big help to the healthcare industry. These include unified communication solutions that connect the healthcare teams inside and out.

Data and information challenges

The healthcare industry is one of the largest industries in the world that requires the handling of a large amount of crucial data and information and a huge workforce that needs to be managed securely. Some of the major challenges of the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry can be listed below.

• Managing users – creation and deletion – regularly due to the high attrition rate
• Making available data on mobile for the sales team and MR
• Data security on mobile
• Migration of data despite limited strength of IT team
• Archival of data as per healthcare industry guidelines (HIPAA)

The pharma industry has lately realized the importance of the same and hence, has started investing in digital transformation technologies. To operate and communicate in a secured way, an effective and end-to-end encrypted communication tool becomes a key differentiator in the industry. There is also a need for seamless integration of technology into the healthcare sector to empower the industry to negate cyber risks and has opened up new avenues of progress with a very personalized and innovative way of collaboration.

Collaboration all the way

Collaborative tools like- video conferencing, team messaging, and business suites provide great opportunities for improving the communication experience between the industry and their stakeholders especially when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the industry which was not much prepared earlier. Initially, from the supply chain, safety measures, to workforce distribution, the industry suffered to deliver services at their best. However, as the complete healthcare vertical started leveraging digital transformation and adopted modern communications and collaboration technologies, delivering quality care and achieving seamless collaboration, improving operational efficiencies, and enhancing patient care became way easy.

Innovation in healthcare is very broad – from delivery of preventative healthcare to new forms of personalized and remote contact with patients.

Collaborative technology platforms have been now considered a crucial tool because of the nature of this industry. Moreover, innovation in healthcare is very broad when delivery of preventative healthcare, new healthcare products, new forms of personalized and remote contact with patients is concerned. Hence, even when the time comes, technology will have numerous opportunities for improving and transforming the healthcare sector by reducing human errors, improving coordination, uplifting practice efficiencies, and securing data simultaneously.

Healthcare workers, as well as their stakeholders, have to embrace emerging healthcare technologies in a bid to stay pertinent in the coming years. The sector needs to work hand-in-hand with technology, adopting technologies with an open mind and preparing for the changing world as much as possible is the only way forward-looking into the current scenario. The future is in front of us and digital is certainly the future as well. Digital technology like collaborative tools could help transform healthcare systems balancing the relationship between medical professionals and patients.

To some extent, COVID-19 has also enrooted the benefits of collaborative technology, now there is more awareness in the healthcare industry about the role of collaboration.

Digital technology like collaborative tools could help transform healthcare systems balancing the relationship between medical professionals and patients.

The future of collaborative technology not only depends on the healthcare practitioners but also on the human factor that requires more focus on the usability of prevailing technology and future technology. The process could start by transforming end-users psychology and pushing them to think differently regarding the end goal of collaboration tools, defining the aim; clarify what technological collaboration means and their key purposes.

Sharda is CEO at India & Middle East, IceWarp