In general terms, digitization refers to the digital version of all health records that are typically recorded on paper. As per the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, digitisation of health records is among the most important steps to create a strong national digital health framework.
In digitisation, everything from medical history, health records, diagnoses, medications, dates, allergies, lab results and doctor’s notes are recorded electronically.
This not only improves the quantum of healthcare services but also makes health information handy for patients as they can find everything in one place.
Why is Digitalisation Important in Healthcare?
To make a robust digital healthcare ecosystem usable across government and private sectors, digitising the personal health records of citizens is an important part of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission.
Digitisation of medical documents is an essential aspect of modern healthcare as it will help both patients and doctors. It will allow all the involved parties to proactively manage and exchange health records.
All this can be done in a safe way on a secure cloud-based digital health locker. Users can easily access their digital health lockers where all their past and present health records can be stored and managed whenever they are required.
Digitising the medical documents comes with a host of benefits, including a reduction in waste, easy management of crucial health records, eliminating errors, improving the efficiency of treatment and more.
What are the Benefits of Digitising Medical Documents?
Digital health records have been in use in several countries and have enabled users to exchange their health information quickly and safely. Some very beneficial aspects of digitisation have been mentioned below:
Easy Storage of Health Records
The need to maintain bulky files or storage to keep a track of old and new health records will be eliminated thanks to digitalisation. With electronic copies of every medical document, users can store everything in one place on a secure cloud-based application.
Not just this, since the digital health locker comes with lifetime access, users can store their digital health records and use them whenever needed. Users can also store medical records of their family members and access them in the case of emergencies.
Interoperable
Thanks to the cloud-based digital health lockers, users can access their personal health records anytime and anywhere. Someone miles away can share their medical history digitally within minutes with registered healthcare professionals anywhere across India.
Medical Efficiency
Since all the health records of the user have been stored safely in a health locker, digital copies of the records can be shared with doctors without missing any details. Even if the patient forgets their medical history or is visiting a new medical professional, no medical information will be lost. This will enable them to make an accurate diagnosis faster.
Fully Secured
Medical records consist of very personal information and are often on paper documents. The cost to protect or store these documents is not only borne by patients but also medical institutes.
Digitisation will offer a secure way to store sensitive medical information by cutting costs of maintaining and filing hard copies for both the parties involved.
It will also avoid the loss of any important health document, a risk which is higher with paper documents. These files can only be accessed by the user through their unique login. Thanks to cloud hosting, there is no risk of losing these digital health records.
Easily Accessible
Thanks to the digitisation of medical documents, users can instantly access the documents required in case of legal liabilities such as insurance claim-related matters. The digitisation process will also be helpful in the case of fraud detection such as misstatements or billing frauds.
