Evolution of Mobile e-Health Technology, Tools and Practices in India

S. K. Mishra¹, R. D. Chand², I. P. Singh²

¹Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS), Lucknow, India

²School of Telemedicine & Biomedical Informatics, SGPGIMS, Lucknow, India

Satellite communication based tele-health practice has been in place in India since over a decade. Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has deployed around four hundred telemedicine nodes spread across the country. Though most of the applications are for teleconsultation and tele-education purpose, of late, the network is being used for diseases surveillance as well. Integrated Disease Surveillance Project launched by Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India four years ago has been able to collect data related to communicable diseases from district hospital level to the central hub located at the National Institute of Communicable Diseases, New Delhi. First mobile e-Health system was developed as a proto type end points in the year 2001 in a Suitcase and mobile Van and the utilities were demonstrated using ISDN media. Later in 2005 satellite based mobile e-health system was developed and deployed in the community for carrying out mobile tele-health clinics. Subsequently Mobile Tele-ophthalmology and Mobile Tele-Oncology systems were deployed. As the wireless mobile telecommunication solution was introduced many of the follow up and appointment scheduling were carried out between health care providers and care seekers using mobile phone. Real telemedicine applications using data exchange could only be launched when the mobile broadband data network facilities were available. Rapid advancement in the wireless telecommnication like 3G, Wi Max and multimedia technologies made the researchers to innovate e-health portable tools to practice e-health using broad band data services. Ease of use and the falling prices of devices, make the mobile technologies an appropriate and acceptable tool to apply in rural telemedicine projects. Expensive telemedicine platform and network media act as barrier in adoption of this technology in health system in low resource environment. Developing countries require low-cost, sustainable telemedicine solutions for the l! ocal delivery of primary healthcare at the community level.