Delivering better healthcare - a business model for the next billion

From time to time, we get ideas. Ideas to build new businesses, new worlds. Ideas to create breakthrough technologies. Ideas to build tomorrow's blockbusters.

Here is my big idea to improve the healthcare industry, developed in partnership with Rajesh Jain .

" The healthcare industry is ailing.

The commonest complaints patients have today are:
* Doctors are too busy – they make me wait too long
* I don’t understand what they say – they don’t have time to explain their jargon
* They don’t share information or respect my preferences
* Care is fragmented amongst specialists
* Doctors are not transparent or accountable
* How do I know his advise is reliable and trustworthy ?

Doctors are unhappy too.
* They are stressed out, because of the large number of patients they need to see, and feel that patients expect too much from them.
* The feel that patients unfairly blame doctors for all bad outcomes.
* They also feel that many patients waste their valuable time by asking stupid and irrelevant questions; because they are too disorganized; and don’t bother to educate themselves or do their homework.

Today’s problems in healthcare are because:

* Everything is doctor-centric - the doctor is the center of the medical care system
* Healthcare is therefore fragmented and disorganised
* Too many specialists , most of whom have tunnel vision

We need to reform the healthcare ecosystem by putting patients at the center – “ patients are the largest untapped healthcare resource “ !

Patients ( or their relatives and friends) are intelligent and capable; and because they have a lot at stake , they are motivated to get good health care, and will be willing to invest time and energy if given the right tools to ensure a good outcome.

We need to provide the tools directly to patients !

Patient centered healthcare involves:
* Self-care
* Personalization
* Transparency
* Quality
* Control

To the Tax Department, you are your tax return

For the Bank, you are your bank statement

For the healthcare system, you are your medical record .

At present, this is on paper, fragmented , all over the place ( in hospitals and clinics) and incomplete. Today, the modern version is the EMR or electronic medical record). The medical record is a representation of the patient’s story – as seen from a medical perspective. ( This is a fallback of the old-fashioned biomedical viewpoint of the medical establishment, which treated all patients as “cases”).

However, ideally the health record should be the patient’s story – from the patient’s point of view ! A patient-owned health record The PHR – Patient Health Record (which includes the patient’s personal views and social background as well) can enable a true partnership and collaboration between patient and doctor.

Unfortunately, for most of us, our financial records are in better shape than our health records ! This is a sad state of affairs, and we can correct this by using technology intelligently to help patients to store their medical records on their personal website.

PHR = organised medical information = improved medical care .

Information is shared amongst all the specialists who participate in your care ; instantly available on your mobile, wherever you are; available during emergencies; available to your spouse; and always updated. In addition, it ensures you don’t forget allergies and drug reactions; and also provides automated reminders ( for example, for checkups ).

Patients will own this information. Part can be secure, private, and confidential; part can be public ; and by allowing varying levels of access , portions can be shared with whomever they choose. This will allow patient-to-patient networking, so they can provide support and help to each other."

The seed capital to get the business started is available. What we are looking for are people to lead the venture and be part of the senior management team. We believe that each of these ventures has the ability to not only grow big in the years to come, but also transform India. So, if you are interested in any of these ventures, email me at rajesh-at-netcore.co.in or fill out this form with a brief profile of yourself, your thoughts on the ideas presented, and your thinking about the role that you'd like to play in the venture.