Everything depends upon how you use it and so is technology. The first Oxford India lecture given by Professor Norton in New Delhi stresses on the usage of technology in healthcare. Technology as in Professor Norton, who delivered the Oxford India Lecture, is more focused in using the advancements of smart phones and other smart devices as they can definitely improve and involve patients in shaping a better access to healthcare.
Oxford India Lecture on Smart Health
Professor Norton said in the first Oxford India lecture he delivered on Monday, September 2014 that a major shift in care provided to patients must undergo a major shift in order to solve the challenges faced by the healthcare systems around the world.
Professor Robyn Norton is the Principal Director of the George Institute of Global Health and James Martin fellow professor of Oxford University, were the two major people who delivered their lectures on the occasion. Considering the fact that it’s the second such event that Oxford University that conducted outside UK- next to the event that took place last year in Shanghai organized by Oxford China Lecture , strong ties that Oxford University has with India through many Indian institutions.
The Vice Chancellor of Oxford University, Professor Andrew Hamilton introduced Professor Norton’s lecture on the topic, ‘Mobilising healthcare: harnessing science, technology and entrepreneurship’, to an invited audience. Professor Hamilton introduced the topic saying that one major challenge that they’d face is how to deliver healthcare affordably to global population of common diseases like cancer, diabetes, and dementia. He believes that such challenges could be overcome by the significant partnership research by India and Oxford University researchers. Thus, he is delighted to organized first Oxford India lecture in New Delhi.
Professor Norton believes that based on best medical evidences, healthcare needs to harness science, technology and entrepreneurship. People can access decent healthcare only if the benefits of researches and the advancements made in technology are combined with business. She also believes that a majority of people ( 5 out of 7 billion) don’t have access to safe, affordable and effective healthcare.
If transformative changes are applied along with moving the reliance on expensive hospital care to primary and preventive healthcare, where patients and mobile technologies will be actively engaged in healthcare, then all will be able to receive safe, affordable and effective healthcare. She believes that both India and UK are subjected similar problems that can be easily solved by the usage of mobile technology. While UK suffers due to growing healthcare demand with a corresponding pressure on NHS’s finances, India faces a challenge in providing universal health access.
Professor Norton believes that even if everyone in a village fails to have a mobile device, at least one might have. She encourages the usage of mobile phones in helping patients diagnose serious and common diseases like diabetes and so on. Professor Norton points out the example of “Smart Health” programmed conducted by the George Global Health Institute, supported by the team Institute of Biomedical Engineering at Oxford University., where health workers are trained to use Smartphone programmed with custom deigned software.
The project is just put into action for a trial period, as the health workers can identify the disease the patients undergoes through the symptoms and decide the method of treatment. The patients are guaranteed in receiving best treatment equivalent to highly trained doctors in more well-equipped clinics, as the system also allows the doctors to monitors the decisions made by the health workers. Professor Norton trusts that in a populous country as India, such projects would far well, as they efficiently cover the major challenge faced- universal health access to rural areas.
Also read : Oxford University Press India wins two awards IDA Awards 2014
In a field as sensitive and significant as healthcare, usage of new technologies and implementations must truly be acknowledged and appreciated. As Professor Norton pointed out “Smart Health” does provide a better solution to the major challenge faced by India. Thus, as a socially-driven citizen, we must encourage such innovative projects as “Smart Health”.
So, what are your opinions after reading this article? Please do share with us, by commenting in the comment box, below.
This article was written by : Anuradha Sivaraman
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