The National Health Authority (NHA) recently announced the expansion of the digital health ecosystem created under its flagship scheme, Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM). The announcement followed the successful integrations of 52 digital health applications via ABDM Sandbox. Over the past two months, 12 more health service applications have integrated into the ABDM sandbox environment.
Newly Integrated Applications Transforming the Health Sector
Among the additions to the ABDM Partners ecosystem are 12 new applications. These include, among others, the HMIS (Hospital Management Information System) for CGHS, Anmol Application by NIC, eSanjeevani UKTelemedicine Service, and the Meraadhikar app. Presently, both government and private sector health applications are part of this ecosystem, reinforcing collaborative efforts between the two sectors.
ABDM: Supporting Universal Health Coverage in India
The ABDM is a national digital health ecosystem. It aims to provide efficient, accessible, inclusive, and affordable health coverage through various information and infrastructure services. The purpose of ABDM is to develop the necessary backbone to support the country’s integrated digital health infrastructure and bridge the existing gap among different healthcare ecosystem stakeholders.
Significance of App Integration in Reinforcing Digital Health Infrastructure
With more existing health applications joining the ecosystem, the potential for innovation increases, and the system evolves at a faster rate. This integration symbolizes the collaboration between the public and private sectors toward strengthening the country’s digital health ecosystem. Such concerted efforts will pave the way for achieving universal health coverage in an effective, efficient, and affordable manner.
Objectives and Key Points of ABDM
The objectives of the ABDM are multifaceted, from establishing state-of-the-art digital health systems and managing core health data to establishing registries at an appropriate level. The mission promotes a system of personal health records for individuals and healthcare professionals, and development of enterprise-class health application systems to achieve Sustainable Development Goals for health.
Four Key Building Blocks of ABDM
The Ayushman Bharat Mission relies on four main pillars: Health ID, Healthcare Professionals Registry, Health Facility Registry, and ABHA Mobile App. These components work together to facilitate access, control, and management of medical information by patients and healthcare professionals.
The Role of ABDM Sandbox in Digital Health Ecosystem
ABDM Sandbox is a digital space for experimentation, designed to test integration processes before making the digital health product live for actual use. As it stands, 919 public and private sector integrators have enrolled under the ABDM Sandbox to validate their software solutions under the scheme.
Recent Developments in India’s Health Sector Digitization
Various other initiatives mark progress in digitizing India’s healthcare ecosystem. Among them is the National Digital Health Mission (NDHM), which aims to launch a complete digital health ecosystem comprising four key features — health ID, personal health records, Digi Doctor, and health facility registry.
In December 2020, the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare approved the Health Data Management Policy under the NDHM to protect and manage patients’ personal data using the scheme’s digital services. This policy serves as a guidance document across the National Digital Health Ecosystem (NDHE), with data collected across the NDHE stored centrally, at the state/UT level and at the health facility level. Other initiatives include data mining, digital health records, and digital health infrastructure. Overall, these efforts are moving towards establishing ‘Health for All’ in India.
