Healthcare Digital Marketing Agency

Good health and mobility is what everyone continues to hope for as they age.

In today’s times, good health is not just a prayer. Good health is a way of life which can be achieved with the help of modern digital tools. Are our elderly loved ones equipped to integrate technology into their health care?

Digital is the buzzword for the young and not so young. The benefits which digitalization brings about in our daily lives cannot be ignored. Being techno savvy, being on social media platforms, surfing the Internet and being well-versed with numerous apps is the norm of the day. So this generation that is now aged between 30 and 50 will be more equipped to face the fast growing changes in the world of digital healthcare and artificial intelligence.

As per statistics, in a developed country like USA, 62% of the elderly population (+65 years) actively seeks digital healthcare solutions.

In India, the story reads differently.
As per statistics, in the Census 2011, for senior citizens aged above 60 years– There were 104 million elderly persons out of a total population of 1210 million (8.6%)
– 73 million persons, i.e. 71 per cent of the elderly population resided in rural areas while 31 million or 29 per cent of elderly population was living in urban areas.
– 56% of the persons aged above 60 years were illiterate.

But let not the above figures deter you. From the last census to the next in 2021, there will be noticeable changes. Under the current leadership of our honorable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, who launched ‘Digital India’ on 1 July 2015 with an objective of connecting rural areas with high-speed Internet networks and improving digital literacy, there will be a growing populace of literate elderly seeking online healthcare services in coming years.

Also with the launch of Jio in September 5, 2016, high-speed Internet and mobiles have become more affordable and accessible throughout India.

For more info visit the link below –

Sources – www.digitalsaline.com/blogs/read/is-the-aging-population-of-india-ready-for-digital-healthcare

Digital Marketing for Hospitals

Factors contributing to the growth of medical tourism in India :-
1. Medical Visas: The Government of India has introduced e-Medical Visa and e-Medical Attendant Visa to support medical tourism. This facility is extended to 166 countries to hasten medical aid in India.
2. Top hospital chains: Apollo, Fortis, Wockhardt, Max have doctors on their panel who are at par with the best doctors worldwide. Also, the standards maintained by these hospitals in terms of their digital records, the cutting-edge equipment, cleanliness, etc make them extremely competitive to offer the highest standards in healthcare services.
3. Competent doctors: Indian doctors have made a name for themselves as being highly intelligent and skilled in their profession. They keep themselves abreast of latest innovations in the medical field at par with the best doctors worldwide. Many doctors have also studied abroad, worked in international hospitals or have associations with internationally recognized medical bodies.
4. No language barrier: Most of the large hospitals in India have doctors, nurses and medical staff who speak in English. English being one of the most widely spoken languages, foreign patients find it easier to communicate with the team of medical practitioners in Indian hospitals. Also with so many spoken languages in India doctors do have the advantage of speaking with the foreign patient in their preferred language.
5. Cost of Treatment: Compared to the dollar and other currencies, medical treatment in Indian rupees looks far more affordable to a lot of people living abroad than what it would cost them in their own country. Be it Indians settled abroad who still prefer to come to India for low-cost treatment or for foreign medical tourists, Indian medical treatment is more affordable than in most developed countries.
6. Large number of pharmaceutical companies: With India having a large number of pharmaceutical industries manufacturing indigenous drugs, it is easier to procure these drugs at fractional prices compared to their prices in developed countries.
7. Latest equipment: Large specialty hospitals in India are outfitted with the latest medical equipment, medical technology and network at par with international standards.
8. Luxury amenities: Today hospitals in India are offering not just hospital beds but suites for the affluent medical traveler. A medical traveler seeks not only medical treatment but also luxury amenities for himself and the family while undergoing a medical procedure in India.
9. Less waiting time: In Indian top hospitals, there is no long waiting list for medical aid for life saving treatments. Especially in the cases of organ donations or cardiovascular ailments, treatment can be availed of almost immediately. Patients don’t need to wait for months to get the best medical treatment and post-operative care.
10. Available alternative treatments: Today medical tourists are also seeking overall well being. Many a tourists are drawn to India for treatments in Ayurveda and Naturopathy.. With our honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi, also instrumental in recommending to the UN General Assembly, to consider Yoga as the root and an integral part of Indian culture, on December 11, 2014, the UN declared June 21 as International Yoga Day. Putting yoga on the world map, has further contributed to attracting tourists seeking yoga practice as an alternative cure to their medical ailments.

Conclusion – India requires more active policies to promote medical tourism. Its initiatives to advertise and promote medical tourism at international medical fairs must continue. Hospitals also need more accreditation from established bodies for medical tourists to view them at par with the best hospitals worldwide. Right from immigration clearance to recovery treatment, it necessitates a smooth transition. Medical tourism in India is not only here to stay but is also on the rise!

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Sources – http://www.digitalsaline.com/blogs/read/india-2019-among-the-best-countries-for-medical-tourism

Digital Marketing for Doctors

The world is shrinking. Not in terms of size but surely in terms of availability. No longer are products and services confined to a locality. Technology and travel have initiated a major shift in world economies and how they function.

Worldwide travel and tourism also have changed from recreation only to travel for education or travel for medical purpose among many other reasons.

All this is possible due to the unfathomed progress in information technology, in cloud computing, social networks, mobile technology, etc., that are providing a boost to medical tourism to reach its full potential.

Specialized top healthcare digital marketing agencies are helping hospitals build their best websites. Today doctors and medical specialists also have attractive and informative websites, which increase their visibility. Digital marketing for doctors is becoming a must. Dedicated medical tourism companies are also offering patients abroad, an overview of the medical treatments available in India and facilitating their access to the treatment. All of this has contributed to spearheading global medical tourism in India.

India is a leading destination for medical tourism ranking amongst the top 10 medical tourism destinations worldwide. The other medical tourism countries include Thailand, Mexico, USA, Singapore, Malaysia, Brazil, Turkey and Taiwan. Recent statistics show that out of the total global tourist volume worldwide, approximately one percent which is around 11 million people travel annually to seek medical care out of their own country.

What is medical tourism?
Medical tourism is defined as traveling outside one’s own country to seek healthcare services. It is often described as medical travel, health tourism or global healthcare. Medical tourism includes medical surgeries and treatments, overall health and wellness treatments and the use of alternative medicine with modern medicine. The main reason for this growing trend is the better quality of medical aid available at more affordable prices elsewhere.

Medical tourism is a flourishing $30 billion industry, with steady growth over the years. In the last decade, it has risen by around 15%.

In India, medical tourism favors the field of cosmetic and weight loss surgery, cardiovascular ailments and surgery, organ transplants, orthopedics, cancer treatments, and ophthalmology.

Alternative medicine and treatments by the ancient science of Ayurveda are also drawing many patients towards seeking overall wellness in India.

The Government of India is taking significant steps to promote medical tourism in India. Currently the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of AYUSH along with SEPC and NABH are proactively involved to increase the number of patients coming to India for medical assistance. The National Medical and Wellness Tourism Promotion Board has been set up primarily to market and promote Indian wellness and healthcare through its Incredible India campaigns, fairs and medical conferences in foreign countries.

For more info visit the link below –

Sources — www.digitalsaline.com/blogs/read/india-2019-among-the-best-countries-for-medical-tourism

Healthcare Digital Marketing

The proposed changes required to be initiated by Medical Representatives to stay relevant to today’s changing medico marketing scenario include:
1. Rid the insecurity: Digital adoption can lead to restructuring and redefining of job roles. It can enhance and not detriment the jobs of MRs if correctly used. MRs to unlearn deep-rooted practices and adopt newer knowledge-based approach while communicating with doctors.
2. Re-skill: Acquiring skills that will help to adapt to the ever-changing conditions in todays competitive work scenarios. Update of knowledge and analytical skills is a constant for one to remain and thrive in today’s competitive pharma market scenario. 87% of all doctors would like MRs to talk about recent clinical studies and evidence-based medicine.
3. Understand your clients/doctors’ needs: Low product differentiation, stiff competition and high market potential have led MRs to restructure their scope of work. A MR in India now requires being equipped with CRM systems, presentation skills, familiarity with digital platforms and medical marketing skills as well.
4. Respect doctors’ busy schedules: India has only 0.7 doctors per 1,000 people. This extreme shortage coupled with the increasing disease burden has made doctors busier than ever. Medical Representatives need to change their strategy and adopt effective communication to disseminate complete product information and other proprietary knowledge in the shortest span of time.
5. Accept the digital invasion: Technologies like cloud, social media, mobile apps and data analytics are bringing in a paradigm shift in traditional healthcare models. MRs have to accept, embrace and adapt themselves to the latest technology in pharmaceutical marketing.
6. Focus on adding value: Sales goals will remain. But a Medical Representative will need to adapt differently for doctor meetings/hospital marketing with discussions moving from incentives to adding value to the drugs being marketed, offering to convey the pharmaceutical company’s commitment to healthier patient outcomes.
7. Become a medical specialist: A MR is no longer just a sales person. He needs to understand his work entails partnering doctors in healing patients. While sound product knowledge is a must-have, MRs should also be aware of the overall organizational strategy and vision of the pharmaceutical company he/she represents. The MR has to find the best balance between the pharmaceutical company, the medical experts and social media tools available to him.
8. Place physician before the pill: A MR has to be able to provide prompt responses to queries and requests via emails or through company’s website. Transparent product information and maintaining a constant connection online with the doctors and medical staff, is the need of the hour. It is no longer restricted to selling pills for prescriptions at doctor clinics/ medical centers/ hospitals.
9. Offer more than the product: MRs need to go beyond selling the capsule, tablet, or dry syrups by assisting doctors in accessing the latest research or even help them enroll for industry-sponsored conferences. Exchange of intelligent and relevant information is needed to interact with the medical authorities.
10. Embrace digitalization: Digital marketing solutions such as product launches, webinars, feedback and interactions on various social media platforms are crucial for medical reps to stay efficient. Visit websites. Understand how top healthcare advertising agencies in Mumbai and other mega cities are bringing about the change in medical marketing.
11. Be conclusive: Pharmaceutical companies need to empower MRs to interact with physicians. Rather than perfecting a sales pitch, a medical rep should hone his skills to be conclusive in sealing a deal in front of the doctors. No going back and forth.
We can thus conclude in a digital age, where every healthcare digital marketing agency and media advertising agency is vying for direct communication and social media networking with doctors through websites, Facebook, Instagram and other social media platforms, a major re-haul is necessary if MRs have to stay relevant to the medical community. The medical representatives in India should look upon going digital as a thrust and not as a threat!

For more info visit the link below
Source – www.digitalsaline.com/blogs/read/going-digital-a-thrust-or-threat-to-pharmaceutical-sales-medical-representatives

Going Digital – A Thrust or Threat to Pharmaceutical Sales / Medical Representatives

On the onset, the emerging digital era has rendered redundancy and irrelevance in many professions. One of them being threatened is the job of the Medical Representative (MR) who has dominated the Indian pharmaceutical industry in the healthcare marketing segment.

The quintessential MRs often seen with their black leather bags were hired by pharmaceutical companies as ‘medico marketers’.
Today 68% of doctors do not want to meet Medical Representatives (MRs) more than once a month, with a majority claiming that such meetings do not add any value to their clinical practice. The reason being doctors have easy access to websites on Healthcare Digital Marketing and Pharmaceutical marketing to learn about new drugs. Most doctors also said that they are already aware of the drug information that the MR provides. Therefore, the doctors now expect MRs to go beyond the basics and deliver higher value to their practice. With rising focus on evidence-based medicine and personalized treatment plans, doctors are hopeful that their next meeting with MRs involves a more scientific dialogue with complete and deeper understanding of the drug.

With scientific and technological progress, medical advertising, digital marketing for doctors and digital marketing for hospitals in the forefront, it is imperative for pharmaceutical companies to indoctrinate a change on how MRs engage with the medical community. Pharma companies need to come up with a comprehensive digital media plan that also integrates with their field force activities.

A newly launched digital platform of global Doctors which enables peer-to-peer interaction & knowledge-sharing for better clinical decisions revealed that although 74% doctors wished to communicate with MRs regarding new drugs, 68% wanted to restrict these meetings to only once a month. Moreover, only 33% thought that such interactions add value to their practice. The fact that a whopping 80% preferred accessing product information online proves that the Indian doctor’s behavior has changed.

Pharmaceutical product marketers need to act fast and reduce the gap between what doctors expect and what MRs offer. They must understand how the Indian healthcare sector is changing and how this is altering the Doctor-Medical Representative relationship. New strategies require to be devised to keep the sales force relevant and updated in the competitive digital media markets.

For more info visit the link below
Source – www.digitalsaline.com/blogs/read/going-digital-a-thrust-or-threat-to-pharmaceutical-sales-medical-representatives

Healthcare Digital Marketing Agency

How does telemedicine work in India?
A telemedicine clinic in remote area has a general practitioner or an alternate medical practitioner who allows patients and doctors to interact over a screen. The patient is made to sit before a laptop where he can discuss his ailment with an expert in medical field in real time. Medical marketing has encouraged telemedicine services in India to connect to larger number of patients.

Advantages of Telemedicine
1. Far flung reach of modern medicine – To date, in many remote areas of India, witch doctors and healers are still providing cures. The government is taking steps to introduce telemedicine in these areas so that medical advice can be provided via digital devices.

2. Outpatient visits – As per statistics, it is believed 70 percent of outpatients can be given medical treatment without being physically present before the doctor. Today with top doctors online, treatment is a click away.

3. Wider reach – A healthcare digital marketing professional helps a doctor to have a wider reach online. These doctors consult patients who are geographically far away.

4. Optimum use of human resources – India is expected to reach 1:1000 doctor- patient ratio by 2024. Till then, telemedicine is the only way to make available the services of a doctor to a large population.

5. Reduce subsequent visits – Statistics have shown that out of every 100 patients treated via telemedicine only around 15% needed to physically visit the doctor or hospital. The remaining 85% of patients who were consulted over a telemedicine clinic had their ailments resolved in the very first tele consultation itself.

6. Rural Healthcare data – Telemedicine assists in gathering medical ailments from the remotest areas of India required to build a national database of healthcare. Telemedicine and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) help the government formulate healthcare initiatives and policies based upon the epidemiology of diseases.

7. Face-to-face with medical experts – A doctor who may be a top expert working in a specialty hospital in a city can offer his expertise to a fellow doctor in a smaller hospital which maybe lacking services of such an expert.

8. Low cost – Telemedicine can prove to be a low cost alternative to being treated in large hospitals in cities. The cost to commute to a city, expenses incurred to stay in the city during the course of the treatment and the actual cost of treatment can be reduced if good health care services are provided via telemedicine available to patients living away from cities.

9. Educating the midwives on childbirth – In a country where child and mother mortality are relatively high, telemedicine can teach midwives the importance of cleanliness, postnatal care and other aspects of childbirth through videos. To bring about a major change in the mindset of rural Indian population, midwives can play an important role to educate young parents to readily accept a girl child.

10. Training – Telemedicine is the best tool to impart medical education and training of healthcare practitioners in remote areas.

11. Telemedicine tools for early detection of cancer- Telemedicine services such as video-conferencing and web based transfer of electronic medical records are being used in early detection of cancer and its treatment. Sharing medical data and reports of patients by telehealth care centers with oncologists in city hospitals helps at the very initial stages to get an experts opinion. It can also later benefit in post treatment follow-up consultations.

12. Helps to link specialty centers to nodal centers – In the private sector, the Apollo Group, which is a large healthcare specialist has opened a telemedicine specialty center and a telemedicine consultation center. Currently all the telemedicine specialty centers located at the tertiary care facilities of Apollo Hospitals are in big cities such as Chennai, Hyderabad, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Bangalore and Madurai are linked to telemedicine nodal centers all over India through internet connectivity.

13. To impart knowledge – Public health programs and initiatives in India are undertaken for prevention of communicable diseases. Telemedicine helps to reach the rural population to educate them on topics like vaccines and improved sanitary conditions through educative videos.

The potential of telemedicine has been recognized in many subspecialties of medicine including cardiology, neurology, dermatology and ophthalmology.

Conclusion: Although not a substitute for traditional healthcare system yet, telemedicine is growing in importance. With technology comes change. Today a medical marketing agency or medical advertising agency is helping bridge the doctor-patient gap in India by setting up websites for doctors as well as setting up websites for hospitals and other digital platforms for doctors and medical professionals. In a developing country like India, telemedicine will provide the added support required for successful healthcare delivery.

For more info visit the link below

Source – www.digitalsaline.com/blogs/read/the-growing-need-for-telemedicine-in-india

The Growing Need for Telemedicine in India

India’s healthcare sector is anticipated to grow at the Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 29% between 2015 and 2020 thus becoming a US$280 billion industry as per the Statista.com. But these figures do not reflect the best healthcare available to its widely spread population.

Though the doctor to patient ratio in India is 1:1596, the doctors are primarily concentrated in the large cities. Also availability of healthcare infrastructure in villages and remote areas of the country stands at a dismal low. Villages in India even today do not have access to the medical doctors, medicines and healthcare facilities.

Today with the advent of digital marketing in medicine, the private sector as well are Government of India is taking initiatives to make healthcare available to larger strata of the population. With 68% of the population residing in the villages, telemedicine is soon becoming the most sought after tool to address equality of healthcare in India.

What is telemedicine?
Telemedicine is a part of digital healthcare. It is the merging of modern technology with medical science. Telemedicine is defined as the remote delivery of healthcare services, which includes health assessments or consultations, over the telecommunications infrastructure. It allows healthcare providers to evaluate, diagnose and treat patients using common technology like video conferencing on mobile phones or other devices without the need for the doctor and patient to be present in the same place at the same time.

In India with easier access to mobile phones and Internet data medical facilities are being searched on and availed at the swipe of a finger. Whether you are searching for a specialist doctor, getting an online appointment, asking for an opinion on the examination report, getting a follow-up and progress visit, in-home healthcare for senior citizens, or genome-focused R&D, digital healthcare simplifies all of these areas. It can be as basic as two doctors discussing a patient’s medical condition and the course of treatment. Or it could as elaborate as transmitting case files and reports over the net for a live video conference. Today a reputed medical marketing agency or healthcare digital marketing agency brings doctors/hospitals closer to patients by setting up digital marketing for doctors as well as a winning strategy for hospital marketing.

Since the year 2000, the Government of India is also taking steps to build the telemedicine infrastructure. This telemedicine initiative is a joint effort between the Government of India, the Department of Information Technology (DIT), the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). It involves the active participation of state governments and doctors and hospitals.

For more info visit the link below

Source – www.digitalsaline.com/blogs/read/the-growing-need-for-telemedicine-in-india

Digital Marketing for Doctors

Neck pain is a growing concern with increasing usage of apps on mobiles.
Known as ‘text neck’, this term used to describe the neck pain and damage sustained from looking down at your cell phone, tablet, or other wireless devices too frequently and for too long. Using mobiles without any control, can cause injury to the spine and bring about a change in the natural curvature of the neck, increasing the amount of discomfort in the associated soft tissues.

The human race has always used their neck to look down so why the concern now? In early days people bent their necks downward whilst reading, whilst eating and while performing numerous other activities through the day. However, the problem became more evident and large scale when people continued to bend their necks downward for much longer periods whilst using their mobiles to text.

What are the symptoms of a text neck?
If you are suffering from a text neck, it is your neck, upper back, shoulder and arm, which begins to ache:
1. The Neck: Neck pain and soreness in the neck movements due to tightening of the muscles. While looking upwards or downwards or even sideways, the natural movement of the neck causes pain.
2. The Upper Back: Nagging pain and muscle spasms in the upper thorax can persist.
3. The Shoulder: Tightness in the shoulder or even the severe condition of frozen shoulder can be aggravated resulting in pain and restricted movements of the shoulder.
4. The Arm: If a cervical nerve gets pinched, pain can spread right down to your arm and into your hand resulting into numbness and a tingling sensation further aggravating to stiffness in the fingers.

In order to avoid the painful condition of a text neck, here are a few pointers by health practitioners which need to be followed while using smartphones and laptops to prevent it from occurring:

1. Curtail the time spent
2. Use large computer screens rather than smaller mobile screens.
3. Don’t slouch, recline slightly, sit on a comfortable chair propping up your feet. Assume the ideal posture.
4. Place the digital screen at eye level or shoulder level.
5. Communicate more eye-to-eye with real people rather than reel people on digital screens.

If neck, shoulder, upper back and arm pain persists, it is advisable to visit a doctor who can prescribe pain killers and a physiotherapist who can prescribe gentle stretches and exercises. In addition to the physiotherapist taking you through neck extension, neck flexion, neck rotation and side flexion to ease the stiff muscles, one can also increase mobility and decrease muscle pain, by massaging the sore muscles or by applying hot/cold fermentation.

As a word of caution, parents should monitor the time children are spending surfing the net. It is especially perturbing because in younger children, it could possibly cause permanent damage to their cervical spine, which in turn can lead to lifelong neck pain. It is best to take a few minutes off to stretch your muscles, to look away from the screens and to take short breaks to walk away from your laptops and mobile phones while using them.

Excessive use of mobiles, ipads, laptops, desktops are a health concern. Limit your usage and work wisely to avoid a text neck.

For more info visit the link below –

Source – www.digitalsaline.com/blogs/read/neck-pain-incidences-increasing-with-digitalization

Neck Pain Incidences Increasing with Digitalization

Are you Internet savvy? If no, you will be the dinosaur of the online world. Today, the young and not so young use their mobiles, ipads, laptops, at work and at home.

There is a vast amount of things people turn to the digital platforms for:
1. For Shopping: There are numerous e-commerce websites like Amazon and Jabong where you can order from the comfort of your home and have it delivered to your doorstep
2. For finding information: For school and college students, a search engine like Google helps when they need information to do a project.
3. For locating a place: If you are searching for a new address or even a restaurant in your city or town there are maps which help you to locate the place.
4. For research: Plenty of research papers, latest developments in technology and other fields is available to a person who wants to keep abreast with what’s happening in his/her field of interest.
5. For staying connected: Gone are the days of a telegram or telephone too. Today on a platform like WhatsApp, you can chat, call, share photos and share videos with friends and loved ones.
6. For marriage: Who says marriages are made in heaven? Today matrimonial sites are searched for the perfect partner.
And the list goes on and on…

The shift from walled-in business to online businesses has become the mantra to remain in the business. Even professionals, entertainers, celebrities’ want a piece of the digital cake.

Digital agencies make it happen. From websites to Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to Social Media Marketing (SMM), a digital marketing agency will provide a marketing strategy for you to have an online presence through various digital platforms like websites to Facebook to Instagram to Twitter. It is always advisable to take professional services of a digital marketer who has-
1. Local presence: While setting up your online business it is beneficial if you can express your concerns, your goals etc and to the media professional who also has a thorough understanding of the markets, culture and other aspects.
2. Complete package: A top digital marketing agency is able to offer the complete range of digital services including website construction, Content writing, SEO and SMM. So its best to use the services of a professional digital marketer who can offer the entire services under one window.

Now that we understand the importance of online marketing and the multiple usage of Internet apps, let us throw light on how on the other end of the spectrum, excessive usage of the Internet leads to health problems. As per statistics, most individuals spend between 5-8 hours on mobile screens or laptops or computers. Smartphone users typically bend their neck slightly forward when reading and writing text messages. They also sometimes bend or twist their neck sideways and put their upper body and legs in awkward positions. Poor neck, trunk and leg postures can lead to musculoskeletal disorders. Musculoskeletal disorders are more common amongst students and the younger generation with smartphone use exceeding five hours a day.

For more info visit the link below –

Source – www.digitalsaline.com/blogs/read/neck-pain-incidences-increasing-with-digitalization

Growing Reliance on Digital Technologies in Healthcare

hMahatma Gandhi once said “Be the change that you wish to see in the world.”

In today’s times, accepting changes in the digital world and integrating oneself with it, is the primary need in order to move ahead. Whether it is digital marketing, digital technologies, digital data or digital media: digital is an integral part of almost everyone’s lifestyle.

No one can dispute technology’s ability to enable us all to livelonger, healthier lives. From surgical robots to “smart hospitals,” to health and fitness monitoring apps, the digital transformation is revolutionizing patient care in every way.

The healthcare sector comprises of doctors, nurses, health clinics, hospitals, pharmaceutical manufacturers, medical equipment manufacturers and health insurance firms. They all work in conjunction with one another to provide diagnostic, preventive, remedial, therapeutic and medical expenses coverage services.

Why is the healthcare sector going digital?

The major reasons why healthcare sector necessities digital transformation, are:

1. To allow innovation- Innovation in medicine gives access to superior and affordable healthcare solutions. Medical technology leads to wider availability of the drug/ treatment at affordable prices, which can save lives.

2. To remain in business- The healthcare sector has taken longer than other businesses to adopt digital technology. The worldwide digital healthcare market is expected to touch $206 billion by 2020. As per a recent study conducted by SAP and Oxford Economics, it was determined that while 70% healthcare companies are planning to digitalize operations, another 61% feel that digital transformation will increase patient satisfaction. There are a lot of new and global opportunities for marketers. Digitalization is essential to remain in competition in worldwide markets.

3. To go with the flow- Healthcare marketing has progressed from the corner medical store and the medico rep, to the online digital world. With consultations and medicines available online, doctors and patients cannot be left far behind. Also since advertising on digital media is stated to become the number one channel for ad revenue by 2019 the medical fraternity should utilize to advertise their drugs and specialist services thru digital platforms like Facebook, websites etc.

4. To utilize the data- There is so much valuable raw data in terms of patient history, latest drugs, innovations in medical equipment, healthcare apps, all of which have to be interpreted correctly and utilized in the most optimum manner towards patient’s health and wellbeing.

The healthcare industry in India has significantly grown in recent years.

There are professional digital healthcare agencies, which provide marketing strategies to established and emerging Hospitals, Clinics, Individual Practitioners and Corporates including FMCG, Pharmaceutical, Medical Devices & Diagnostic companies.

A healthcare marketing agency helps to build a website, offers Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to attract more traffic, creates a mobile app and handles Social Media Marketing (SMM) for medical practitioners.

With Internet coverage having spread to small towns and even villages in recent years, with medical information getting more easy to access, with doctor patient interaction getting closer, with competition amongst pharmaceutical companies growing stronger; the healthcare industry is relying on medical marketing, hospital marketing and pharmaceutical marketing. This is why it is essential for doctors, GP’s, Physicians, consultants and specialists in the healthcare sector to approach an internet marketing company which can offer a digital marketing strategy to serve the overall purpose.

Seen here below are few technologies of recent times that are helping the healthcare sector to get closer to the people in need of medical assistance:

1. The advent of telemedicine: Until recently, a patient had to visit a doctor’s clinic or a hospital or then the doctor was required to do a home visit. With technological advances, geographical location no longer limited a doctor or patient to communicate with each other. Telemedicine presents doctors with a greater accessibility to patients. Availability of patients’ medical records in digital format for specialists to refer to, as and when required, is a major benefit offered by telemedicine. Telemedicine also effects time and money saving.

2. The convenience of wearables: From monitoring glucose level and ECG to DIY blood tests this can be performed easily by the patient with the help of modern mobile wearable devices. Once the data is monitored, it can be relayed to the doctor in real time. This data is then analyzed and monitored by the healthcare professionals to provide preventive medicine and suitable medical advise to the patient. It is life-saving.

3. Cloud platforms to store data: As per statistics, more than 83% of healthcare sector comprising of hospitals, pharmaceutical companies and healthcare organizations are currently using some form of cloud platform to store the immense data they receive. Hospitals, insurance companies, and doctors are now storing patient medical records in the cloud. The patient also has easy and quick access to his/her medical tests via email.

4. The importance of genomics: Experts in genomics strive to determine complete DNA sequences and perform genetic mapping to help understand disease. They are constantly working towards eradicating diseases or help in times of epidemics.

5. Genetic engineering: In modern medicine, genetic engineering is used to mass produce insulin, human growth hormones, for treating infertility, and the manufacture of vaccines and many more life saving drugs.

6. Social media: A lot many patients through various medical sites and online forums are able to seek information and research on their health condition and ailments. Also the search for a doctor or hospital best suited to the patient in his territory is influenced by online searches and social media posts. Online medical platforms prompt informed discussions between the doctor and patients.

7. The use of Artificial Intelligence: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is used to detect and prevent life threatening diseases. Recent study published in Annals of Oncology, in 2018, showed AI could detect skin cancer better than doctors. AI predictive analysis has also provided solutions to improve patient outcome.

In times to come, more people will be using digital tools to seek diagnosis, video conference for ailments, email and WhatsApp for medications from physicians rather that scheduling and appointments.

For more info visit at –

www.digitalsaline.com/blogs/read/growing-reliance-on-digital-technologies-in-healthcare