Why India needs to adopt mHealth to enhance traditional models

The Indian health care system still lags behind other nations in terms of mHealth adoption, but as the global adoption becomes a reality, the next few years are exciting times for India—specifically to solve the issue of caring for a population of 1.3 billion.

mHealth makes care more accessible, faster and less expensive. Both factors of cost reduction and accessibility will primarily drive the adoption of mHealth in India since, as of now, 70 to 80 percent of health care expenses are out of pocket, according to Advisor Healthcare.

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Health care has to be very personal in order to provide the best care possible, and mHealth allows for that via increased preventive care, participatory care and better communication between patients and doctors.

What are the barriers to adoption?

While mHealth seems like an overall positive adoption for the Indian health care system, there are still a few concerns from industry professionals.

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One being that some doctors perceive mHealth as a disruption to their traditional models. With a more patient-focused model where independence begins to thrive, doctors are resistant to this loss of control.

There is also the importance of the need to balance privacy and convenience. While other nations who have already adopted mHealth are also learning how to optimize data security while also maintaining accessibility and ease of use, being a new health model in India, this concept will have to be explored greatly in India.

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Leveraging the full potential of mHealth in India will take some time, but it is an area of growth and opportunity that can enhance the level of care provided. 

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