2020, known as the year of uncertainties, was a rollercoaster for the healthcare industry as it was forced to adapt a number of new approaches which may turn out to be blessings in disguise. The sector is evolving at a greater pace and trying to future-proof itself to the extent possible.

The focus has drastically shifted towards advance research in medicines and vaccines to fight the ongoing pandemic. Moreover, the synergy between herbal and conventional medicines is now a trending practice.  

In addition to this, the approaches are patient-centric as personalisation of healthcare is on the rise. So, looking at the fruitful transition in actions, better healthcare can be expected in coming years even in the developing countries like India. 

Discussed ahead are four changing paradigms of healthcare- 

Paradigm 1- Easier and advanced access to healthcare through IT

Unequal access to the healthcare facilities is one of the major concerns when it comes to availability of these facilities to different groups in the society. People living in rural areas, where the healthcare services are inadequate and biased, are described as the unhealthy part of the population.

However, due to pandemic, telehealth practices in the healthcare are on the rise, barriers are decreasing and access to public health facilities is increasing. Rising digitalisation in healthcare is resulting in increased efficiency, patient engagement and personalisation of health solutions. Several interventions like tele-appointments, real-time interactions, telediagnosis, tele-patient monitoring, and much more, are possible due to virtual assistance.

Moreover, owing to this IT- based approaches, health professional who are based abroad, can efficiently guide surgical procedures and other interventions here virtually. Due to increasing acceptance of telehealth, rural population can enjoy better and advanced healthcare in the coming years.

Paradigm 2- Proactive patient care 

Due to late diagnosis of health condition, there was always a risk of highly advanced disease stage leading to unmanageable consequences. However, as the healthcare structure is evolving, proactive patient care gaining traction. 

Early diagnosis is essential for managing deadly diseases like cancer and other chronic health conditions. Early detection and preventive measures can lead to improved survival rate in the future. 

In recent scenario, the preventive healthcare approaches surging with the interventions of nutraceuticals, traditional medicines and herbal supplements. Along with classic nutraceuticals, one of the most in-demand nutraceutical formulations are ‘natural immunity boosters’ which have gained a good traction in pandemic.

Moreover, In India, Ministry of AYUSH has led down a platform for immunity boosting traditional medicines during COVID. Contesting the tested or untested formulation are going on and there are certain natural products like Bacopa monnieri, for which enough clinical trials are available. However, claiming them for immunity against Corona, they definitely need trials. 

Paradigm 3- Integrative approaches

The concept of holistic wellness is getting established among the people like never seen before. Government actions are also inclined towards increased acceptance of Ayurveda and other integrative medicines. In pharmaceuticals, Drs’ prescriptions have increased for plant-based nutrition products along with vitamins and minerals as supplementary prescription which is evident from IMS.org or IVAC reports. In comparison to overall growth of pharmaceutical industry, the nutritional products, vitamins and minerals as nutrients, are growing faster than the total market.

Due to the pandemic, the focus has shifted from cure to prevention. Role of spices, Ayurvedic ‘kadhas’ and other traditional medicines came up as precaution for every family. In addition, the pandemic, lockdowns and working from homes further fostered the use of such traditional remedies. As a result, though it is not a direct competition to modern medicines, the perception of Ayurvedic or traditional medicines shifted to prevention. This is the reason why acceptance of traditional medicine is increasing. Also, due to rising alertness about therapies like acupuncture, massage, meditation, etc., healthcare can adopt new ways of treatments which are much holistic in nature.

Patient’s rehabilitation is also one of the matters of concern as many a times, post-surgery care is important in order to return to  a healthy lifestyle. Looking at the better approaches towards today’s healthcare, rehabilitation centres can become prevalent in coming years. 

Paradigm 4- Technological headway

The days when surgeries were not so precise and unassured are fading away. Increasing technological advancements in healthcare at various levels are effectively future-proofing the entire sector and billions of lives. 

Artificial intelligence (AI), one of the highly trending topics today, is making great moves in healthcare industry. Several advanced interventions which are not only timesaving but also very promising are empowering the current healthcare sector. AI is highly useful in the space of genomics and gene editing which can give rise to the drugs and treatments for various life-threatening diseases.

While reshaping and reimagining healthcare, affordable healthcare cost should also be taken into consideration as this aspect of healthcare services is very important. As more healthcare organisations implement tech-driven initiatives, cost factors are need to be balanced in order to make the healthcare services approachable for the patients belonging to various strata of the society.