National Digital Health Mission helps provide comprehensive, interoperable, and accessible data of a patient in a simplistic way. It aims to standardise data formats and make it easier to share uniform data across several systems and stakeholders. It is convenient for the patients to store and access the records and all the details of the patients, which will help to make better decisions and timely interventions.

What Is NDHM?

NDHM is the acronym for National Digital Health Mission. The main aim of Ndhm is to build the needed foundation to back up the digital healthcare infrastructure. The infrastructure would consist of data related to health and several standardised digital services while ensuring the security and confidentiality of personal information. It also aims to bridge the gap between different stakeholders in the healthcare sector in India. It is a great platform to link practitioners with patients digitally by giving them access to real-time health records.

The purpose of NDHM is to implement the below-mentioned digital systems throughout the country –

• Health ID – Ndhm aims in the execution of a unique health ID (UHID) which is just like an Aadhaar Id. Health ID NDHM is used to identify and authenticate a person based on all the health records from the past. This ID is helpful in creating a wide network of health records and the data of which can be shared with different stakeholders after taking consent from a particular person.
• Digi Doctor – It is a storehouse of the list of doctors, including the details like the name, qualification, institution, specialisation and the years of experience that individual has. This directory of doctors is always updated and mapped with the various facilities the doctors are associated with.
• Health Facility Register (HFR) – The Ndhm has a list of health facilities across the whole country in this health facility register. This will be maintained centrally and also facilitates public and private health facilities in India. All health facilities are allowed to update their profiles periodically.
• Personal Health Records (PHR) – A personal health record is an electronic record of a person containing all the health-related information of that person. The data present in the PHR can be drawn from multiple sources. All the information can be easily updated, edited, controlled and managed by the person.
• Electronic Medical Records (EMR) – This is an app which contains the medical history and treatments taken by the patient. It contains comprehensive health-related data and pieces of information regarding a patient at a facility. This would help the healthcare provider to track their patients, monitor their health and provide helpful suggestions regarding checkups and screenings.

How NDHM Helps?

NDHM aims to improve people's lives and takes the necessary steps to develop the digital healthcare infrastructure in our country. It is helpful in several ways -

The NDHM helps make the sharing of medical records, prescriptions, medical history etc, easier through various stakeholders and systems. Due to this, healthcare practitioners, clinicians and public health experts make better decisions and provide timely interventions.

NDHM is useful in establishing and improving the healthcare system that manages essential data and infrastructure.

It aids in creating international-grade health records of people by taking their consent which can be shared among patients, service providers, health experts etc.

It also helps in boosting digital health cards among citizens. This card carries the credible data of health experts, medical workers, clinics, health care providers, pharmacies, drugs etc.

NDHM For Hospitals

National Digital Health Mission has proved to be a boon for hospitals. It has led the complete healthcare system to a new era of technology. It promises to provide greater inclusivity, transparency and efficiency in the health sector throughout India.

NDHM is beneficial to the healthcare providers and to everyone connected to the hospitals, be it the doctors, nurses, staff members, patients, insurers, stakeholders etc. NDHM has several benefits for all the people connected with the hospital –

• Improved Access to Patient Health Records – Hospitals can access the health records of the patients easily and so can provide better and more effective care. This will ensure a systematic record of the patient's details and the treatments administered. There is no need to notify the authorities about diseases and deaths as they will be taken care of automatically.
• Improved Discoverability – The hospitals can be more discoverable if they participate in the UHI. It will enable the patients to find the hospitals easily and also connect with them digitally for services like appointments and teleconsultations.
• Faster Processing of Insurance Claims – Processing for insurance claims is now easier and faster with the NDHM, as with the interoperable systems, it is convenient to share the patient's records.
• Flexibility to choose Software Applications – NDHM allows the hospitals to deliver the services by choosing any software applications of their preference.

NDHM for Doctors

NDHM can also benefit doctors as they can get in touch with their patients even if they are far away. It becomes convenient to administer a particular type of treatment to patients because the doctors can access the medical history of the patient and the latest reports. Apart from this, the following are some of the benefits that the doctors can avail of through NDHM –

• License Renewal – When doctors move from one state to another, getting the license registration and renewal done is always an issue. Also, the issuance of a NOC( No Objection Certificate) is not a simple process. However, with the NDHM there will be a single registry, so getting these things will become less painful.
• CME Credit tracking – In this system, it is easier to effectively track CME (Continued Medical Education) credits online. This tracking makes sure that the doctors know where they stand and need not jump through hoops to get their credits counted.
• Faster Insurance Approval – As the doctors are verified in the authenticated registry, the doctor’s malpractice identity will become easier and faster. The approval for insurance for the clinics or hospitals owned by the doctor is faster through NDHM.

Conclusion

NDHM is a platform that has initiated a radical change in India's healthcare system and services. Apart from making the lives of patients and healthcare providers, it has been a blessing to the entire healthcare ecosystem. It has further scope for improvement in the proper utilisation of healthcare infrastructure through digitisation and empowerment.

It gives an identity to each person and the freedom to access their data and medical records through the registered health ID. All the details are stored here without any hassles and can be shared with any healthcare provider with the consent of the person.

FAQ

What Is A Digital Health Id?

A digital health ID contains detailed information and medical history regarding a person's health. This unique health ID helps in safely exchanging the details and records with healthcare providers and service providers.

Is Ndhm Health Id Unique?

Yes, the NDHM card contains a unique number which consists of 14 characters. This unique number is used to trace the patient's medical history by the doctors.

Are The Medical Records Safe And Secure?

Yes, the medical records and the detailed information of the patients are safe and secured because they are shared over encryption mechanisms and cannot be accessed without the consent of the patient.