The Impact of a National EHR System on Startup Innovation

In a recent publication written by Ayush Jain , CEO at Mindbowser, who shared his insights in the Economic Times titled “How a nationwide EHR system creates opportunities for startups,” the transformative potential of a nationwide Electronic Health Record (EHR) system takes our attention. As we delve into the intricacies of this innovation, we unravel the various opportunities it presents for a burgeoning wave of different startups. The healthcare landscape is on the edge of significant evolution, and within the digital realms of EHR, a new frontier for entrepreneurship ventures emerges. Let us navigate through the avenues this nationwide EHR system paves, offering a fertile ground for a breed of startups poised to redefine the future of healthcare.

Just as India’s leap into digital banking democratized financial services, making them accessible to anyone with an application and an internet connection, a parallel revolution awaits in the healthcare sector. Much like how individuals can now open bank accounts, apply for loans, and manage financial transactions effortlessly online, the digitization of healthcare holds even more promise- making high-quality, affordable, and accessible healthcare.?

As India’s Fintech sector boasts over 10,000 companies and generated a substantial $17 billion in revenues in 2022, established on the pillars of Aadhaar and UPI, similar opportunities await the transforming HealthTech industry. This upcoming rise in health technology is poised to establish its foundation on the widespread integration of EHR.?

Starting with basics, an EHR is a digital file comprising every aspect of an individual’s health profile. It goes beyond basic information like identity details, demographics, vitals, a detailed medical history, and test results. Unlike its traditional form, modern EHRs are designed for seamless sharing among diverse healthcare providers.? This means that when an individual seeks medical attention from a different doctor or hospital, the new healthcare provider gains instant access to the individual's complete health information. It facilitates a more comprehensive and collaborative approach to healthcare management.

EHRs bring an abundance of benefits to today’s healthcare innovations. It has become a driving force behind faster and more accurate clinical decision-making, minimizing the chances of medication errors and enhancing the outcomes. But that’s not all. When EHRs are combined at a group, community, or even population level, they reveal a wealth of data that offers valuable insights into the health of entire communities. This enables faster delivery of information and streamlines the research, development, and testing of new drugs, creating a realm of efficiency and cost-effectiveness. It's genuinely remarkable how technology is transforming healthcare for the better.

In alignment with global strides, the United States, Europe, and various other nations have vigorously established the widespread adoption of EHR. Recent statistics reveal that as of 2021 , 96% of US hospitals and 78% of US physicians have embraced EHR. In Europe , 96% of General Physicians (GPs) utilize EHR. Australia, through its My Health Record system, has enveloped 23.7 million people, representing nearly 90% of its population, as of January 2024.

In the same direction, India, under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, has instituted an incentive system similar to the US federal government to stimulate EHR adoption. Despite the initial steps, the journey is long, with fewer than 1,700 hospitals , clinics, or diagnostic labs participating in the incentive scheme. A predominant reliance on paper-based documentation continues among the majority of healthcare facilities. However, establishing over 34 crore individual Ayushman Bharat Health Accounts (ABHA IDs) linked with health records marks a promising inception for a nationwide EHR system.

As this system evolves with an expanding repository of EHRs, the expansion of individual and population-level health data sets the stage for entrepreneurial ventures. The potential applications range from simplifying data entry and retrieval for healthcare providers to a spectrum of innovative solutions leveraging this rich health information.

The applications streamlining Electronic Health Records (EHR) are emerging as a critical category, particularly for time-strapped and less tech-savvy doctors. Visualizations like charts, graphs, and animations can simplify complex data for busy General Practitioners (GPs), aiding quick decision-making. Natural Language Processing (NLP) algorithms add another layer of efficiency by extracting key information from medical narratives, enhancing documentation processes.

Beyond basic functionalities, advanced applications leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI) and analytics to derive meaningful insights from EHR data. This opens up opportunities for innovations, such as personal health tracking apps that compare an individual's vitals with a vast dataset to provide timely preventive check-up alerts. Integrating AI into EHR data empowers healthcare applications and facilitates faster diagnosis, prognosis, and personalized treatment recommendations, especially when combined with wearable trackers.

This combination of AI and EHR also fuels real-time, tailored diagnostics, improving precision in diagnosis and subsequent treatment. The integration of wearables and EHR is a prominent trend in the United States. Additionally, applications built on population-level health data can identify at-risk patient populations and predict disease onset or progression. AI models analyze historical health data to stratify patients based on their likelihood of developing specific conditions, allowing for proactive preventive interventions and enhancing overall population health outcomes.