TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS FOR GENERAL PRACTICE
Lessons from FMPC 2019.

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Dr. Swapna Bhaskar

Doctors and technology! Aren’t they two sides of a coin? Guess this would have been there in the minds of many doctors worldwide about 10 years ago. But times have changed so much that technology has become an integral part of all practitioners since the past few years, and newer innovations in medical technology is happening at a constant pace.

With Bangalore being the IT capital of the country – the thought of “technology in primary care” was unanimously accepted when a young team member suggested it as the theme for FMPC 2019! The search for the correct set of topics that integrated the theme without losing its relevance to general practice was a tough task indeed. An overwhelming number of IT providers came forward with their products and value added services related to primary care and the conference included all of them along with panel discussions, demonstrations and debates on the use of such technology in our practice. .

Among the many new innovative ideas that were put through,the following topics struck me the most – .

1. Electronic Medical Records are here to stay! EMRs have become the backbone of all major hospitals and polyclinics world over, but their significance in private clinics was debated. A discussion on the uses of EMRs in general practice that took place during the conference looked at the pro and cons of using one in a standalone clinic. Looking at the current scenario of medical litigations and consumer protection act, it helps to provide substantial evidence for the doctor and the patient if the records are saved on EMRs. Although many are already available in the market, FMPC featured some specific ones customized for general practitioners like DOCON .Apart from helping in recording your appointments and patient data, these can also be used as consultation reminders, vaccination records, medical certificate generators, and to intimate clinic holidays, disseminate useful public information etc. The data base can provide material for research in primary care which should be an area of interest of all practitioners. It is immensely useful to come out with as much research material as possible from our own community which has a huge patient base. EMRs can also double up as the finance assistants of your office since it can integrate your expenses and income into it .Tatahealth, digihealth etc are other platforms that are specific for private practice and doctor- patient interface. .

2. App for competency assessment in training of postgraduate students ( Field note app) – an app was introduced by the faculty of CMC Vellore which could be used by the faculty and students for educational interaction, reflection by student, and feedback by faculty - by providing continuous communication and formative assessment during the training. The advantage of the app is that it can be used anywhere- OP/IP, casualty, labour ward, during seminars, journal club, home visits, procedure training etc. It has a mutual feedback system which helps the trainee and the trainer to introspect and upgrade. .

3. Telemedicine – (which is the latest fad in medical industry) was extensively discussed in FMPC. With more and more companies venturing into this, the ethical, financial and legal issues related to it has gained huge importance. In spite of the lack of human touch in it, the popularity of teleconsultaions has grown over the past few years in this extremely busy world. Technology has improved it by way of video consultations and this form of practice has proven to be a boon for remote areas of the country which lack sufficient medical care. We will have to wait and watch for the future of telemedicine in India. 4. Use of technology as a laboratory – Many lab tests that you need to do in a clinic or during a health camp can now be done with small box like machines with pocket friendly prices- one such one is called “healthcube” – which assesses the patient’s sugars, HBA1C, lipid profile, creatinine, hemogram, uric acid, ECG, fat analysis, oxygen saturation etc , even when you are on the go . These machines are also integrated into mobile apps for easy access for the patient and the doctor. The ease and accuracy with which such machines function make them a great choice for a clinic based doctor. .

5. The impact of social media on general practitioners- with the huge burden of SoMe in our world, there is no running away from the fact that it is highly impactful not just to laymen but to practitioners too. It has indeed helped GPs to have a wider networking, understanding of different systems of practice in the world, clearing clinical/ non clinical queries in a jiffy and conducting continuing education and professional development programs. AFPI has implemented the use of such platforms for webinars / case based discussions and E- Learning on a regular basis since past few years . Still the judicial use of SoMe is the need of the hour for all of us. .

6. Use of mobile apps in medical practice- There are many apps that are specific for certain needs – like for palliative care, diabetic practice, diet advises, calorie count during exercise etc. Such apps help to reduce the consultation time and take on the role of diet and exercise counselor, integrates past medical records, helps in references to specialists and other many other functions too. Many such user friendly ones were highlighted during the conference; Eg – remedbooks, ubicure etc. .

7. Use of technology in updating knowledge needs no debate. Apart from medscape, pubmed etc which are highly popular, the newer ones like “uptodate”, “ mfine” etc are extremely useful to provide all latest updates on practice to the GP. .

8. “Technology” was also the highlight of the conference where an app based entry to exit program was executed. The app was utilized for Q&A sessions saving precious time, for registration to certificate distribution, food vouchers (thus saving paper), contests, news updates and even for feedback process. .

Overall artificial intelligence and technology are going to be in the forefront of our journey as family physicians. We have to strike a balance between the judicious use of technology while maintaining our human touch to ensure the continued faith and confidence among our patients. .

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