Minnesota Healthcare News Home Health Referral Process

By Rupal Sancheti

With the emergence of one-tap services, home healthcare in India is seeing phenomenal growth. In 2019, the Indian home healthcare market was at USD 5.2 billion in 2019 and is expected to grow at a rate of 19.2% from 2020 to 2027 to reach USD 21.3 billion. Covid induced lockdowns gave an impetus to the already growing industry. The need for better quality post-operative care and primary care coupled with advancement in technology has accelerated the growth of home healthcare in the country. More and more people are seeking these services from the comfort of their homes at cost-effective prices. An increase in the geriatric population, changing family dynamics, lifestyle and chronic diseases, and unreliability of the informal sector has led to a demand for telemedicine.

A critical necessity
India will have 56 billion elderly people by 2031 and currently, two in every three senior citizens in India suffer from some chronic disease. Senior citizens prefer getting treated from home, surrounded by their family and environment. To cater to this need of the hour is an investment in elderly healthcare.

The corona pandemic jolted the most robust healthcare systems in the world. Similarly, the Indian healthcare system was badly battered during the second wave. Every aspect of the healthcare system is over-stretched -- from the availability of skilled professionals to -- beds. This has given the impetus to virtual medicine.

Healthcare should be accessible to everyone and home healthcare bridges that gap. Technological advancements have made sure services such as at-home chemotherapy sessions for cancer patients, physiotherapy sessions, removal of sutures, post-operative rehabilitation are seeing an increase in demand. Home healthcare provides a clinically safer option for postsurgical recovery and also for traditional inpatient services including ICU services and dialysis.

Tasks at hand
India has an abysmal doctor-to-patient ratio. A doctor in India caters to 1511 patients much more than the WHO recommendations. The shortage of nurses is even acute with one nurse for every 1600 patients compared to the WHO guidelines of one nurse for 1300 patients. Additionally, the ratio of beds to population is skewed too. There is a pressing need to enhance healthcare investment.

Though there is an increase in demand for home healthcare, this demand is mostly driven by tier 1 and tier 2 cities. It is important to get creative and make home healthcare accessible to other cities as well. The complications are myriad ranging from low income and general skepticism about trying home health care at home.

Home healthcare in India is a budding industry with strong roots which was given the required push by the Corona-induced lockdown. Healthcare should be affordable, accessible and home healthcare makes that possible with quality treatment at your doorstep, in your home.

Recent trends and treatments offered at home

Patients who have to undergo chemotherapy and home dialysis are preferring health care services at home. Those who are suffering from kidney related problems are opting for 'peritoneal dialysis' which can be done at home. There is no need for a doctor. Simply a technician visits a patient's house and carries out dialysis. Though taking chemotherapy at home is not affordable, some patients have started taking it at home post pandemic.

In orthopedics, more and more patients are opting for non-invasive robotic surgeries. Such surgeries require less hospital stay. In that case, they are taking appointments of physiotherapists who visit their home and get the physiotherapy done.

By Rupal Sancheti, Director of 'HealYos' - a home healthcare company

(DISCLAIMER: The views expressed are solely of the author and ETHealthworld.com does not necessarily subscribe to it. ETHealthworld.com shall not be responsible for any damage caused to any person/organisation directly or indirectly.)

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Minnesota Healthcare News Home Health Referral Process

Source: https://health.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/pandemic-stimulates-home-healthcare-in-india/88932978

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