Qiagen India Pvt Ltd

Medical Diagnostics plays a crucial part in the delivery of quality health care by providing solutions, information and services that contribute to maximizing the effective delivery by providing answers for many clinical ailments. The recent pandemic has very clearly shown how we need to be clinically ready with our diagnostics testing infrastructure both in the Public and Private healthcare system. Like the popular adage goes cometh the hour cometh the man, the winds of change have begun in India’s medical diagnostics ecosystem.

Medical Diagnostics is the most effective, least invasive source of the objective information used in decision-making by a clinician in Infectious disease, cancer testing and non-communicable diseases. There are clear evidence that 60%-70% of critical decisions in diagnosis and treatment involve quantifiable laboratory data. The medical diagnostics industry accounts for only 5% of the total health system cost, but it influences 95% of the remaining costs.

Along with treatment regime selection, diagnostic test results help in monitoring of the patient condition during recovery and follow-up. Even in cases of hospitalization, where diagnostics are critical in defining the treatment regime and reducing the turn-around time, the cost of diagnostics is lower than 10% for both urban and rural hospital settings and with volumes this can further be reduced. This may sound cliched but increasingly it is important to focus on prevention overall as a way forward for the health and well-being of our Nation.

This pandemic explosion has, in fact, highlighted the importance of the health facilities systems and hospitals in the first place, and their constant management, as relevant part of the whole governance of this dramatic and complex moment. This has reinforced the need for Continuous improvement in diagnostic test preparedness be it for more rapid results, at the point of care or community screening for optimized prevention and treatment.

Molecular diagnostics would increasingly be the future and the pandemic has shown that this is a key relevant area on which management of major clinical decisions would depend. In health care, periods of crisis and adversity are also frequently important catalysts for innovation. Campaigns against past epidemics were responsible for improvements in health system infrastructure and the adoption of better hygiene practices. Similarly, some of the greatest innovations in trauma care have been the product of wartime medicine. The fight against COVID-19 has the potential to accelerate the emergence of a new framework for organizing and managing health systems in our country.

The emerging evidence from health systems across India is that COVID-19 will provide the impetus for long overdue changes to the way that Medical Diagnostics is approached and delivered in the entire healthcare spectrum. There needs to be a paradigm mindset shift in the way diagnostics is approached as a tool of prevention and better well-being and this will need to sustain prevention as a goal coupled with digital advancements that healthcare consumers have now come to expect to ensure continuous access to health services in a safe and convenient way. In the Healthcare framework Medical Diagnostics should be built to manage a pandemic as well and not build around the pandemic-this will not only ensure a resilient health ecosystem but also will be a more sustainable one during such trying times. This will also ensure a more potent patient centric approach which is fast, proactive and reliable.

THE SIX-POINT ACTION PLAN TO LEAD CHANGE AND DELIVER DESIRED OUTCOMES

Inclusive and Accessible: Newer Delivery Models that is inclusive will enhance access to Medical Diagnostics the larger population by leveraging on resources, expertise, existing infrastructure like instrumentation and human resources. PPPs mode of delivery across various geographies of the country have proven successful, a fine example for such inclusive model is the success of National TB Elimination programme of India, that has been effectively leveraging multisectoral engagement as part of the TB Harega Desh Jeetega Campaign.

Innovative and Affordable: Being innovative both with technology used in Medical Diagnostics as well as efficient service delivery models, like the inclusive one cited above, will drive scale of volumes. The inclusive ecosystem will drive the market forces towards more affordable pricing. There are several such examples of inclusive model generating the desired level of services at affordable price which have led the government and the private players to work more closely and deliver better results. It is about making diagnostics accessible to all.

Awareness and empowerment: Increased awareness will empower people with information to take the call on preventive health check-up, leading to more Medical Diagnostics, proactive approach to health and wellness. The various stakeholders in the ecosystem like the diagnostic Lab chains, hospitals, Public Health system and Medical Diagnostic corporations should drive the awareness initiatives to ensure the person/ patient understands the need for preventive diagnostics, coupled with coverage and value. The perceived value of this change should be fully understood by the consumer and provider. This behavior modification will be the key to the success of this change.

Value-based testing: An increasing shift in the approach to disease based rather than a technology-based will ensure value-based testing and how the report is given with interpretive data. Quality of tests will become more important thus driving volumes further with a patient (person) centric approach. Medical Diagnostics Lab chains, Hospital Public Health system and Medical Diagnostic corporations have helped in expanding the test menu for disease profiling, identifying early onset of clinical conditions, genetic testing for targeted treatments like cancer, diabetes, prenatal testing, early and rapid detection of infectious disease. Value-based testing to drive the message of responsible testing to the consumer, which currently is not realized. As reports suggest of the 25% of the population having some sort of access to healthcare will grow further with a better understanding of the distinguished value

Make way to Pay: Creating traceable consistent affordable finance options has been one of the biggest challenges which need to be addressed. The public health coverage through programmes like Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana is growing. Private Health Insurance has a huge role and opportunity in driving this further. And innovative microfinance schemes leading to healthcare bonds would naturally increase coverage and affordability.

Deploy and Upskill Human resources: The diagnostics industry in India has created approximately 0.4 million direct & indirect jobs each. While increasing accessibility and affordability, the industry has also helped address one more core objective of national development, i.e. job creation and skilling. The Indian medical diagnostics industry employs around 1 to 1.5 million people, with an average of 15 jobs created between direct and indirect. Niche skill development, critical roles and responsibilities assessment, continuous knowledge enhancement, job creation and additions to the workforce will enable the industry to serve communities better.

With India accounting for only 1 to 1.5 % of medical diagnostics industry globally, there is a huge scope to increase coverage and access that would have a positive impact on the overall healthcare delivery system leading to a healthier population. During the COVID-19 pandemic early understanding of the epidemiology, deploying appropriate testing strategy and rapid ramping up of facilities to provide diagnostics and care in a short span of few months has shown that where there is a will there is a way. Now is the time that all right forces are deployed by stakeholders in this framework to work in a concerted way to bring a change towards advancement and play an important role in the health and economic well-being of the country. These winds of change would further enable us to set the sail to charter a new course in Medical Diagnostics in India.