Digital Health Innovators Support Initiative
Digital Health Innovators Support Program, established by two leading centres, BRIDGE Centre and C-CAMP aims to provide critical support to digital health innovators for successful deployment of their innovations, leading to positive impact on public health.
The healthcare industry in India is rapidly growing, particularly in the health technology sector. With over 5000 start-ups and counting, health technology has the potential to revolutionize healthcare delivery in India, making it more accessible and affordable.
However, while some start-ups have emerged successfully, most struggle to perform to their potential due to challenges such as securing funding, navigating the complex legal and regulatory landscape, and developing effective marketing strategies. Many also lack the capability for scientific evaluations, which hampers their chances of adoption. Despite the challenges, the growth of the healthcare industry and the increasing number of digital health start-ups offer immense opportunities for improving healthcare access and delivery. With continued collaboration and engagement, digital start-ups can overcome these challenges and achieve their goals of transforming healthcare delivery in India.
Our vision and mission is to empower digital health pioneers to create and implement sustainable, affordable, and high-quality health interventions that enhance the health of all individuals throughout the nation.
The program’s objectives would be:
– To support health innovators to deploy technically sound, clinically effective and cost effective Digital Health Interventions
– Develop systems and mechanisms to assess health technologies by a transparent and inclusive processes
– To assist innovators in business planning and collaborations
– To help innovators disseminate research findings and publish scientific literature in peer reviewed journals
IAPSM BLDE Preconference Workshop
BRIDGE Centre collaborated with BLDE to co-host the Indian Association of Preventive & Social Medicine, Karnataka State Chapter preconference workshop on ‘Scaling Up Health Care Using Digital Health’. The workshop was held on 14th September 2023 at BLDE(DU) Shri. B. M. Patil Medical College, Vijayapura. Dr Arun P. Jose and Mr. Nikki Pandey of BRIDGE Centre co-hosted this event along with the BLDE team.
Experts in the field of digital health were invited to share their knowledge and experience with the audience. The workshop was designed to give early career public health professionals an overview of digital health, the opportunities it presented, and showcased a few innovations by start-ups, including IMedrix, Clinally, Janitri, and Periwinkle.
The workshop was attended by about 75 delegates that included public health professionals, students, community medicine PGs, and junior faculty from Karnataka and the neighbouring states. Distinguished speakers, including Dr. Shailaja Patil (Professor at BLDE Deemed to be University), Dr. Niranjan Joshi (Programme Lead for Digital Health and Innovation Deployment at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms), Mr. Raghavendra Rao (Director of Portfolio India Health Fund), Dr. Krithiga Shridhar (Epidemiologist at the Centre for Chronic Disease Control in New Delhi), and Dr. Balu P.S. (Director of the Centre for Digital Health, Artificial Intelligence, Research, and Training, or C-DART, at BMC&H – Chitradurga), graced the event to enlighten the audience on vital topics in the realm of digital health. The presentations spanned a range of pressing issues within the field of digital health, each addressing significant facets of its development. These topics included discussions on Digital Transformation in India, Digital Health Innovations to achieve Universal Health Coverage, Role of public health professionals in the innovator ecosystem, Employing an Evidence-based Approach to Incorporate AI/Digital Tools into the Public Healthcare System, and Case studies on Digisahayam, and CADT for Oral Cancer.
Dr Arun P. Jose (Head, BRIDGE Centre for Digital Health, Centre for Chronic Disease Control) also delivered a compelling talk on Digital Transformation in India, while Mr. Nikki Pandey (Lead – Partnerships and Engagement – BRIDGE Centre for Digital Health, Centre for Chronic Disease Control) presented the case study on Digisahayam (https://www.digisahayam.org/), an excellent assisted telemedicine initiative by the BRIDGE Centre. This marked the inaugural step in what promises to be a fruitful partnership between BRIDGE Centre and BLDE Bijapur, leading the way to exciting future projects.
AUSTRADE Exploring India's Digital Health Landscape and ABDM
The BRIDGE Centre is dedicated to fostering international collaboration and knowledge sharing in the field of digital health. We recently collaborated with the Australian trade and investment commission (AUSTRADE) to conduct a workshop titled “Exploring India’s Digital Health Landscape and Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) on September 5th, 2023, at Taj Connemara, Chennai.
During this engaging event, we had the privilege of delving deep into India’s dynamic digital health landscape, with a primary focus on the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) and its innovative sandbox. The workshop’s agenda covered a wide array of topics, ensuring a holistic understanding of India’s digital health initiatives. The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission Overview provided valuable insights into the mission’s objectives and strategies.
One of the highlights of the event was the exploration of the ABDM Integration Benefits, showcasing how Australian companies and innovators can contribute to and benefit from this transformative mission. Additionally, the C-CAMP–CCDC Support Program (Digital Health Innovator Support Program), which caters to Digital Health Innovators, was introduced, emphasizing collaborative opportunities.
The workshop also featured an interactive Q&A session that allowed the Australian delegates to directly engage with our team. Interaction with the Honourable Minister and emphasis on the pressing role of NPOs like the BRIDGE Centre in understanding and helping the startups penetrate the India Digital health market, further solidified the commitment of both nations to strengthen ties in digital health. This session provided a platform to address concerns, share ideas, and foster a sense of unity in our collective mission to improve healthcare through digital innovation. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all the speakers, our esteemed colleagues from Austrade, and the Honourable Minister for their invaluable contributions to the remarkable success of this event.
