The Center in New Delhi has started a new program to improve the legitimacy and dependability of medical services by awarding Digital Doctor certifications to validated medical practitioners. This action is a component of the broader Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), which aims to build a strong national digital healthcare infrastructure. A Know Your Doctor (KYD) service is offered in conjunction with the initiative to address the widespread problem of quackery in the medical industry.
The QR code-equipped Digital Doctor certificates are meant to be clearly displayed in medical offices. The QR code fulfills a vital purpose by enabling people to quickly confirm the credentials of their healthcare practitioner, allaying worries about the credentials and reliability of their physicians. The CoWin immunization certificate, which was extensively utilized during the COVID-19 epidemic, is comparable to this system.
An official from the Center gave an explanation of the purpose of the QR code function, highlighting its ability to counteract quackery. Quackery is the practice of unlicensed medical professionals, which puts patients’ health at serious danger and erodes public confidence in the medical establishment. By giving patients an easy and efficient means to verify the credentials of their doctors, the Digital Doctor certifications seek to reduce these risks. According to the official, physicians should make sure the QR code is immediately visible to patients by prominently displaying it in their clinics.
The Know Your Customer (KYC) procedure, which is used in financial transactions to confirm an individual’s identity and legality, is mirrored by the KYD service. This service guarantees that only certified physicians are registered and given certificates in the area of healthcare. Verification entails a comprehensive examination of the physician’s profile data by state medical councils or verifiers chosen by the state government.
According to the Indian Medical Association (IMA), there are about a million quacks—unlicensed medical practitioners—practicing in India. This comprises about 400,000 traditional Indian medicine practitioners. Due to their frequent provision of shoddy or hazardous medical care, these unqualified practitioners represent a major risk to public health. By facilitating patients’ ability to recognize and select reputable healthcare practitioners, the Digital Doctor certification program seeks to drastically lower the number of quacks in the healthcare industry.
The National Health Authority (NHA) is hosting a workshop on May 30 as part of the ABDM to give an overview of the KYD program and the digital mission. National verifiers and councils from all medical systems will be present at the session. The aim of this initiative is to encourage medical councils to expeditiously and effectively onboard healthcare professionals, guaranteeing a prompt verification process and timely certificate issuing.
The COVID-19 epidemic brought to light the difficulties the government has in locating and deploying medical personnel. It was challenging to determine how many physicians, nurses, and other medical personnel were on call during the pandemic. This problem is addressed by the establishment of a specialized database of certified medical professionals, which can be utilized for resource allocation and policy formation.
Approximately 139,000 physicians have received Digital Doctor credentials and have been confirmed as of right now. Furthermore, certifications for more than 200,000 nurses who registered under the National Health Digital Mission have not yet been issued. Roughly 76.56% of the medical professionals listed on the government register work in the public sector.
The NHA is also in the process of adding nurses and physicians from all medical specialties to its database of healthcare professionals. Future plans call for adding pharmacists, dentists, allied health professionals, and other types of healthcare workers to this extensive database.
The significance of the Healthcare Professionals Registry (HPR) in policy formation was emphasized by Dr. Mahesh Verma, Vice Chancellor of Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University and Chairperson of the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals. Because the data gathered in the HPR will be dynamic, in-depth analysis and predictions are possible. It will shed light on a number medical phenomena, including the distribution of specialists, retirement rates, and doctor ages. This data will be very helpful in planning and making sure there are adequate healthcare professionals to meet future demands.
Two other registries are included in the ABDM: the Healthcare Facility Registry (HFR) for approved healthcare institutions and the Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) for beneficiaries (citizens, patients, and persons). The goal of these registries is to establish a complete digital ecosystem that facilitates the effective and efficient provision of healthcare.
Even with the advancements, there are still some unsolved questions about the use and effects of the KYD service and Digital Doctor certificates. Nonetheless, the project is a major step in the right direction toward raising the legitimacy and dependability of Indian healthcare services.
The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission’s launch of Digital Doctor credentials and the KYD service demonstrate the Center’s dedication to using technology to enhance healthcare delivery. The program aims to improve patient safety and trust in the healthcare system by tackling the problem of quackery and making sure that patients have access to verified healthcare providers.
One of the main elements of this effort is the Digital Doctor certifications’ QR code feature. It lowers the possibility of receiving care from unqualified practitioners by enabling people to swiftly and easily verify the credentials of their doctor. This function is especially crucial in underserved and rural areas, where it may be difficult to find certified healthcare professionals.
The NHA-organized session will be essential to making sure the program is implemented successfully. The goal of the workshop is to expedite the issuance of certificates by bringing in medical councils and national verifiers to streamline the verification process. In order to accomplish the initiative’s objectives and guarantee that all medical practitioners are listed in the digital registry, cooperation is crucial.
An additional noteworthy component of the endeavor is the establishment of a specialized database of medical specialists. Improved resource allocation and policy making will be made possible by this repository, which will offer a comprehensive database of certified physicians, nurses, and other medical professionals. The government will be able to better plan and allocate resources by using the data gathered to better understand the availability and distribution of healthcare experts.
An important factor in guaranteeing the initiative’s successful execution will be the workshop that the NHA arranged. The workshop intends to accelerate the issue of certificates and streamline the verification process by involving medical councils and national verifiers. Achieving the initiative’s objectives and guaranteeing that all medical practitioners are listed in the digital registry depend on this cooperative approach.
Another important part of the project is the establishment of a specialized database of medical specialists. In order to improve resource allocation and policy making, this repository will offer an extensive database of certified physicians, nurses, and other medical professionals. The government will be able to plan and allocate resources more efficiently thanks to the data collection, which will also assist them understand the availability and distribution of healthcare experts.
The KYD service and the Digital Doctor certification program are important steps toward India’s healthcare system’s digital transformation. The program aims to improve the quality and safety of healthcare services throughout the nation by guaranteeing patients’ access to verified healthcare providers.
SOURCE:
MINT
