Narayana Health, a healthcare provider in India, is revolutionising patient care through a strategic partnership with Athma, a pioneering health tech company.
In a press statement on Wednesday , the healthcare provider said that this collaboration is set to transform the landscape of Indian healthcare by integrating advanced technology into every aspect of hospital operations.
Devi Shetty, Founder and Chairman of Narayana Health, emphasised the transformative power of technology, stating, “Technology gives the rich people what they always had in a better format. But technology will give poor people what they can never dream of having, and this is the beauty of technology. What it will do is to democratize healthcare.”
Narayana Health identified several critical issues prior to the tech integration: long queues and extended waiting times, along with a lack of visibility into doctors’ schedules, resulted in a less engaging patient experience. Legacy systems and siloed operations across its network hindered effective communication and patient record management. The increasing patient load and the volume of diagnostic, prescription, and treatment data overwhelmed healthcare professionals. Additionally, manual paperwork and resource allocation issues resulted in inaccurate data and delays in care delivery.
To tackle these issues, Narayana Health has joined forces with Athma to develop innovative solutions that simplify the daily tasks of doctors, nurses, administrative staff, and technicians. Athma's technology seamlessly integrates into Narayana Health's operations, deploying advanced clinical, operational, and app-based solutions tailored to the hospital group's specific needs. These solutions, including electronic health records (EHR), laboratory information systems (LIS), billing, inventory management, and patient care apps, prioritise user experience and require minimal training, the press statement informed.
Pradeep Kumar Nayak, Senior Cardiologist at Narayana Health, remarked, "Using Athma has saved me so much time. It helps me enter relevant information on the go, making administrative tasks less stressful and allowing me more time with my patients." The collaboration has significantly boosted Narayana Health’s revenue by Rs 200 crores from 2021 to 2023 and reduced discharge times by nearly 50 per cent.
The partnership has also introduced several innovative mobile solutions. Aadi, the doctor's app, acts as a digital assistant, facilitating real-time communication among care team members and providing live patient data updates. Riyan Shetty, Consultant in Critical Care Medicine, noted, “We, at Narayana Health, can’t imagine our lives without Aadi. Aadi lets us do virtual rounds seamlessly and keep a tab on patients’ health 24/7.” Aadi has saved doctors 40 per cent of their time during ward rounds. The Namah nursing app streamlines digital documentation and shift handovers, allowing nurses to spend more quality time with patients. This digital documentation has saved each nurse at Narayana Health approximately three days per month. The NH Care app, boasting a 4.8 rating and over 1.6 million downloads in India, enables patients to book appointments, order medicines, and access reports anytime, eliminating long hospital queues and enhancing the patient experience.
The partnership between Narayana Health and Athma illustrates how technology can drive meaningful change in healthcare. Future plans include integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to personalise patient care, strengthening telemedicine platforms, and improving the EHR system with predictive analytics to foresee and mitigate potential health issues. Together, Narayana Health and Athma are not just adapting to the future—they are shaping it.
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