NCG-KCDO visited and engaged with 11 key cancer care hospitals located in the cities of Kolkata, Silchar, Aizawl, and Lucknow. The team discussed the importance of digital transformation and the roadmap of digital initiatives over the next 5 years. There was a general recognition that technology is an integral part of care delivery with a strong commitment from all centres to align to NCG’s vision and participate in key NCG initiatives including digital oncology.
The delivery structure is highly dependent on local context requiring any technology solution to have high degree of flexibility and adaptability especially for hospitals in relatively poorer geographies where processes continue to evolve and mature over time. Skilled labour including doctors and support staff especially technicians continue to be a challenge in remote areas like Silchar and Aizawl. Upskilling existing staff using technology can help plug some of these gaps.
Acknowledging the continued challenge in adopting Electronic Medical Records (EMRs), emphasis was given on the need for collaborative efforts to address this hurdle. It was further highlighted that this is a critical foundational capability for achieving interoperability in alignment with the vision outlined by ABDM and NCG-KCDO. There was interest in exploring an oncology specific telehealth initiative to provide continuity of care to a geographically dispersed patient base. It was heartening to see examples of frugal innovation and the focus on patient care in resource constrained environments.
NCG-KCDO will work on capturing such best practices across the NCG network so others can leverage the ideas and delivery models while continuing to adapt to the local context.
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