In a significant achievement aimed at improving patient convenience and streamlining healthcare services, the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has secured the second position nationwide in generating Scan and Share OPD tokens for August. This accomplishment marks a new era of queue-less registration for OPD visits in healthcare institutions across the UT. The innovative Scan and Share queue-less registration process, led by the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission in Jammu and Kashmir, has gained significant success. The Scan and Share system can bring further transformative changes by enabling remote doctor consultations and telemedicine services. A paperless health record can be established, maintaining longitudinal health records for all citizens, and access to these records will be granted to stakeholders with patient consent, ushering in a new era of healthcare collaboration.
It’s encouraging to learn that 71 healthcare institutions across the Union Territory are actively registering OPD patients using the Scan and Share mode. The collective and persistent efforts of these institutions have yielded positive results, with Jammu and Kashmir securing the second position nationwide. This accomplishment is particularly significant given UT’s size and population compared to larger states. It reflects a commendable achievement in the field of healthcare management and technology adoption. It’s truly commendable that healthcare institutions in remote areas are excelling in the online OPD registration process, with over three lakh registrations in August alone, and this number is continually growing. This digitization effort is a significant step towards providing convenient healthcare services to people, even in remote regions, which is essential for improving healthcare access and outcomes. In conjunction with these advancements, the H&ME Department needs to ensure an adequate number of doctors are available for OPDs, particularly at healthcare institutions that have seen a substantial increase in OPD visits. With all the data available online, it becomes more feasible for higher authorities to make the necessary adjustments and allocate resources where they are most needed.
The current online OPD registration process has some challenges that need attention. Firstly, patients are required to physically visit the healthcare facility to obtain a Q-Scan code, making online registration from home virtually impossible. Once generated, this code is valid for only half an hour, during which patients must pay the OPD fee at crowded cash counters and collect pre-printed OPD slips for their respective departments. This defeats the purpose of the Scan and Share Queue Management system. To improve the system and enable remote consultations and telemedicine services, it’s crucial to eliminate the need for physical queuing. An online payment option should be available. Patients should be able to pay their OPD fees digitally, reducing the time spent waiting at cash counters. Prescription pads or digital prescription options should be accessible to doctors or their assistants outside the OPDs. This would enable patients to receive prescriptions or recommendations without requiring an in-person visit. Online registrations alone won’t suffice; the entire process needs to be considered comprehensively. It’s essential to allocate adequate staff, even for managing digital records. A notable issue has arisen at GMC Jammu, where doctors are directed to input patient details from their mobile devices. This procedure has led to unwarranted delays for patients and distracted doctors from their primary duty of patient care. The H&ME Department should involve doctors in decision-making before implementing such digitalization initiatives. Their insights can help identify potential issues and ensure that patient care remains a top priority. Regular feedback from both patients and healthcare staff is essential for ongoing improvements. This feedback can help identify bottlenecks and areas in need of refinement.
This holistic approach, combining digitalization with healthcare resource management, has the potential to greatly benefit the people of Jammu and Kashmir by ensuring access to quality healthcare services, even in remote areas.
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