Fireside chat: Professor Nathan Grylls on the future of tele-health services in India

New Delhi: It’s been over a year since a collaborative project between India and Australia was launched, which aims to expand the virtual Health care available in both countries. Aptly titled ‘VertuCare’, the project was led by the Nossal Institute for Global Health (University of Melbourne). The main focus of the VirtuCare project is to create a tele-Health care model that meets the Health and rehabilitation needs of people with disabilities. A lot of thought went into creating this pilot model in close association with India’s Health and ICT industry, government, other healthcare providers and people with disabilities.

Tirupati TimesLive e-mailed questions to Professor Nathan Grylls, a public Health physician and professor at the Nossal Institute for Global Health, to understand the success of such collaboration and move forward. Grylls, who works extensively in India on disability, says there is a long road ahead for virtual healthcare systems in both Australia and India, but positive progress has been made.

Here are excerpts from the interview.

On what inspired the project…

Delayed and inadequate care, experienced in the early years of life, is a key motivation for patients with juvenile arthritis in particular. Improper diagnosis can lead to chronic Health problems, which is why access to universal healthcare is imperative, especially in underserved areas. Telemedicine, telehealth and virtual healthcare offer valuable solutions to bridge this gap, especially for rural communities. Going forward, designing telehealth services with accessibility in mind will be critical.

On the impact of the project on India

Expanding disability access of virtual healthcare in India is a key factor. Our preliminary research has identified several areas that require improvement to optimize access to virtual healthcare services in India. Beyond accessibility, virtual digital technology can provide support to grassroots Health workers, especially those providing disability care. By providing video resources and digital tools, we are empowering field workers to deliver effective rehabilitation services.

On the role of AI in the future of virtual healthcare for the disabled

In our workshops, we will explore how AI and technology can improve inclusion in tele-Health platforms and virtual healthcare for people with disabilities. We’ve seen good examples of existing technology, such as iPhones, that offer strong accessibility features that enable people with disabilities to effectively engage with Health platforms. Our challenge now is to scale and implement these technologies.

Notable barriers remain, including language barriers and communication needs for non-verbal people or those who use sign language, particularly in rural areas. AI offers tremendous opportunities to bridge these gaps through innovations in speech-to-sign and sign-to-speech translation, visual-to-audio conversion, etc. Real-time interpretation of physician prescriptions tailored to individual communication needs of patients in remote villages. . The potential of AI to improve accessibility is huge, but we need to explore it thoughtfully. Collaborative discussions and workshops like these are critical to understanding how to leverage this technology and make virtual healthcare more inclusive for all.

On the social impact of building an integrated virtual healthcare system

Global data, including from India and Australia, consistently reveal that people with disabilities have poorer Health outcomes across almost all Health indicators. Our challenge is to bridge this gap and improve the Health of people with disabilities to a level comparable to that of people without disabilities. Virtual healthcare systems offer a better solution by increasing accessibility and empowering people with disabilities to manage their Health and well-being on an equal footing. Historically, people without disabilities have benefited from better access to care, financial resources, and effective communication. Virtual healthcare can help reduce these odds.

Regulating a large number of healthcare providers is a significant challenge, especially in countries like India. While it may be easy to collaborate with large government initiatives like India’s largest telehealth provider, engaging private providers and hospitals is a real challenge. Without mandates or incentives, many may not prioritize disability inclusion.