n lieu of the conventional paper outpatient department (OPD) ticket at Lok Bandhu hospital’s counter, one might be taken aback to receive a barcode or an exclusive numerical designation. This distinctive marker signifies involvement in a trial for a digital OPD, an innovative initiative presently under examination.
Patients frequenting four governmental medical facilities will be pioneers in encountering this transformation, witnessing the substitution of traditional OPD tickets with barcodes or unique numerical labels. Within this digital OPD framework, physicians will initiate online prescriptions through their desktop workstations, delineating imperative examinations and pharmaceutical instructions. This data will seamlessly transmit to the pathology and pharmacy departments.
Lok Bandhu Raj Narain hospital, in conjunction with Balrampur, Avantibai (women’s), and Jhalkaribai (women’s) hospitals, are at the forefront of experimenting with this paperless protocol for patients.
Dr. Ajai Shankar Tripathi, the medical superintendent of Lok Bandhu hospital, expressed, “We will inaugurate this system in a designated OPD chamber. The objective is to identify impediments, both from the hospital’s and the patient’s perspective, in implementing the system.”
Elaborating on the advantages for patients within this innovative system, Dr. Himanshu Chaturvedi, the medical superintendent of Balrampur hospital, elucidated, “Even if tangible documents, encompassing prescriptions and diagnostic records, are misplaced, we will still possess retrievable records via barcodes.”
“So, in cases where a patient returns for a follow-up, claiming document loss, the doctor can retrieve their medical history on the computer screen,” added Dr. Chaturvedi.
Post addressing challenges in these medical facilities, the model will be duplicated statewide. Dr. AK Singh, the director of Balrampur hospital, affirmed, “The concept is prepared, and soon the trial will commence, possibly in the month of March.”
How will the system function?
Upon reaching the OPD ticket counter, the patient will furnish either their ABHA (Ayushman Bharat Health Account) number or personal particulars, including name, age, and address, along with their health issue. Based on this data, the staff will enroll the patient in a specified OPD, such as medicine, and furnish a barcode or token number. This barcode, when scanned at the OPD, initiates a computer page for prescription input. If a token number is issued, it serves the identical purpose of opening the prescription.
Subsequent to the prescription’s creation, it is archived. The patient then proceeds to the pharmacy or diagnostic wing for pharmaceuticals or tests. Access to the patient’s dossier is granted through the identical process of scanning the barcode or inputting the token number. Post-completion, the patient’s records remain accessible online for subsequent visits, including follow-ups.
Noteworthy Challenges
Considering a considerable proportion of patients at governmental hospitals lack education regarding smartphone usage and hail from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, using a smartphone might pose difficulties.
Dr. AK Singh emphasized, “After the entire procedure concludes, if the patient is unable to navigate a smartphone, they can still request a paper prescription from the pharmacy. We won’t compel patients to go paperless but will encourage them to do so.”
Statistics reveal that one in every three mobile users in Uttar Pradesh operates a smartphone, and in 2022, India had over 100 crore mobile internet users. However, not all smartphone users, especially those in rural areas, are adept at utilizing applications or downloading PDF or Excel sheets for transmitting diagnostic reports or prescriptions.