Our mission at the Health Business Unit at Wipro is to help our clients solve real-world health problems and improve lives. Emerging economies present unique healthcare challenges and hence many opportunities for innovative problem-solving. For diseases requiring constant monitoring, like Diabetes1, the recurring high cost is a huge impediment.
Population Health & Disease Management in such economies can be successful only if an innovation hotbed2 to enable access and commercial & business model adaptation is created to enhance access. One such example is our collaboration to address disease management in India.
There are 77 million3 with pre-diabetes in India, for whom, if altered glucose levels are detected early, monitored & managed, we can postpone the onset of actual diabetes by several years. These numbers are forecasted to cross 100 million in the next 10-15 years.
With an aim to enhance reach to diabetes management via affordability and feasibility, we collaborated with the Amrita School of Biotechnology4. The partnership develops a mobile health solution using a novel glucose monitoring system integrated with a cloud-based monitoring application for providing more efficient and effective diabetes care. The initiative is supported by Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), Government of India. Wipro, as the technology partner has created an online connected ecosystem among patients, care providers and a 24X7 helpline to support the patient throughout their care journey, which ultimately leads to higher adherence.
We provide the entire Information & Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure, through design & enhancement of the devices, development of the mobile apps & portals, cloud enablement & remote patient management. Clinical rules engine-based alerts, notifications & reminders also contribute towards enhancing adherence significantly.
The impact and its potential
Currently, 200+ pilot patients are actively and successfully monitored using the care platform, and the total cost of ownership is only 20% of a similar service in a developed market. Further, we are working with the university towards a developing a fully automated treatment system, running at just 10% of the current market cost for each wearable device.
We have introduced business-model and service-design innovations for this initiative where the stakeholders can leverage pay-per-use or outcome-based models for the corresponding services.The solution, being flexible, scalable & re-usable, can be tailor-made and customized for clients in healthcare space for implementing in similar markets like China, Brazil, MEA and related care segments like high cholesterol monitoring.
Those companies able to reach the broader population with affordable and similar integrated-care solutions, for a primary disease area, will lead the market – and immensely benefit human lives. In the right working partnerships5, these advanced patient-centric platforms are driving the affordable and sustainable healthcare revolution.
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diabetes/in-depth/diabetes-management/art-20047963
- https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/pharmaceuticals-and-medical-products/our-insights/whats-next-for-pharma-in-emerging-markets
- https://deccanchronicle.com/lifestyle/health-and-wellbeing/201116/india-might-be-on-its-way-to-becoming-the-worlds-diabetes-capital.html
- https://www.wipro.com/digital/news/wipro-and-amrita-vishwa-vidyapeetham-jointly-win-the-aegis-graham-bell-award-2017-for-innovation-in-mhealth/
- https://www.wipro.com/blogs/jeff-heenan-jalil/forging-partnerships-for-outcomes-based-healthcare-its-fundamental-for-survival/
