'Intersection of technologies, disciplines the future'

 Most future innovations will happen at the intersection of technologies and disciplines and this will play a big role in transforming the way we address issues, said Vishwanath Madhugiri, founder director and head of innovation, Innospire Solutions, a strategic consultancy focused on healthcare, telecom, and IT.

He was delivering a talk on ‘Innovation at the Intersection of Mobile and Healthcare,’ as part of the EnVision Tech Talk series at MYRA School of Business, here, recently. “We live in an interdisciplinary era, where the impact of what we do in one area is invariably felt in many other areas, whether it is intended or unintended, positive or negative. Today’s change is dynamic and exponential compared to the incremental changes till a couple of decades ago,” he said.

Preventive medicine, he said, has taken a paradigm shift with ‘Access to Medical care’ being the prime focus in most developing countries.

“Digital health apps and services that deliver instructional videos, checklists and contact information to patients show the limitless potential of mobile innovation. Wireless technology plays an important role for healthcare industry and there are no signs of a slowdown as more health-conscious, doctors, paramedical staff, caregivers and patients themselves increasingly embrace mobile tools to improve patient outcomes and aver overall quality of life,” he explained.

The technology brings relevant, actionable health information straight to patient’s mobile phones. Digitisation — electronic health records, imaging technology, wireless monitoring and a multiple of health-apps being made available at affordable costs, are already transforming the society into a more caring, responsible and healthy one, he added.

Wearable health-monitoring and fitness gadgets, allows patients to be better informed, and to personally engage, monitor and interact with the transforming electronic and internet-enabled healthcare system. Mobile phones now enable them to do everything from reminding them to take their medications to allowing remote clinics to track their medical supplies. The day is not far when general medical practitioners (GMP) will be mostly out of business as patients and their family members get smarter and will approach a hospital only in cases for which hospital or surgical intervention is required, he said.

He said, innovation does not necessarily mean doing new things, but doing existing things in a new way such that it is meaningful in the context and geography it is applied to.

Chairperson of MYRA School of Business Shalini R Urs, Director of Administration Shrijay Urs, and Advisor Sumant Bakshi were present.