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Public Disclosure Authorized

CASE STUDY

Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission’s


Integrated Digital Health Ecosystem is
the Foundation of Universal
Citizen-centered Health Care in India
Public Disclosure Authorized

HEALTH
Fragmented health and data systems occur at multiple levels, and a lack of access
SYSTEM 
to timely information results in reduced quality of medical care.
CHALLENGE
FLAGSHIP PROGRAM

Use of standards based, flexible applications, software solutions, and technologies


that work synergistically within the digital ecosystem. These technologies are a
SOLUTION  combination of interoperable open-source and proprietary applications that enable
access to data and information in a timely manner to meet the unique needs of
users.

KEY
An integrated enterprise architecture through a unified digital health interface
Public Disclosure Authorized

TOOL 
enables health information exchange across multiple digital health interventions.

TIMELINE  2018 till date.


DIGITAL-IN-HEALTH

RESOURCES Implementation cost is approximately $4.5 million over 3 years.


USED 

Introduction In the last decade, digital public infrastruc-


ture within India has expanded exponentially.
The COVID-19 pandemic ushered in the need Several initiatives like the digital identity
for accelerated digitization of health care across system known as Aadhaar (for unique identi-
Public Disclosure Authorized

the globe. The Government of India amply fication), and the Unified Payments Interface
demonstrated their digital prowess in their have become central to India’s public service
response to the pandemic by building Digital delivery architecture. The Unified Payments
Public Goods (DPGs) that leverage several Interface has transformed heterogeneous
standalone initiatives to develop an integrated payment modalities by aggregating them
national digital health ecosystem. The aim of under one easy to use, highly secure mobile-
this ecosystem is to support Universal Health based system for money transfer. Mobile and
Coverage through the provision of real-time internet connections have expanded at a fast
data, information and infrastructure using pace and penetrated ever deeper into rural
open-source, interoperable, standards-based areas. Currently over 572,000 villages out of
digital systems. 597,000 have mobile or network connectivity.
AYUSHMAN BHARAT DIGITAL MISSION’S INTEGRATED DIGITAL HEALTH ECOSYSTEM IS
THE FOUNDATION OF UNIVERSAL CITIZEN-CENTERED HEALTH CARE IN INDIA

There are nearly 1.2 billion mobile subscrib- care services to support this increased
ers, 800 million internet users, and 510 million demand and to improve program coverage
smartphone users. This expansion can be and enhance quality of care.
attributed to the cost of mobile and internet
The impact of the pandemic put a spotlight
connections dropping substantially, allowing
on the benefits of digital innovation, technolo-
for increased digital access across the coun-
gy-enabled solutions and served to accelerate
try. Within the public digital infrastructure,
their use.
there are 1.24 billion unique Aadhar digital
IDs in place, and it is estimated that nearly 10
billion+ eKYC (Know Your Client) transactions The CoWIN platform allowed individuals
and 2.64 billion Unified Payments Interface to register on an online portal, schedule
transactions take place monthly. This infra- vaccinations at government hospitals, receive
DIGITAL-IN-HEALTH FLAGSHIP PROGRAM

structure forms the basis of the Ayushman digital vaccination certificates and facilitated
Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM). access to vaccinations at private sector
hospitals. The platform was viewed positively
During the pandemic, India leveraged various by those individuals using it. It gave the
digital health interventions to provide contact- government access to valuable COVID-19 data.
less health care. Some examples of the Digital
Public Goods developed during the pandemic
include the COVID Vaccine Intelligence Network
Within this short period of implementation,
(CoWIN) application, which provided individu-
it became clear that a comprehensive digi-
als with vaccine certificates, and the Aarogya
tal health care ecosystem was necessary to
Setu application. Aarogya Setu was originally
bring together existing siloed efforts, and
a contact tracing app that provided real-time
to proactively move towards a more holistic
data on active cases, containment zones and
and citizen-centric system. The government
helped more than 175 million citizens assess
responded by creating shared Digital Public
risk in their areas. It also facilitated the book-
Goods for health care and developed a
ing of COVID-19 vaccinations. It has now been
framework for a nationwide digital health.
transformed into a national health application
This initiative was a turning point for health
that allows individuals to register for a Digital
care in India. The Prime Minister launched
Health ID, telehealth consultations, as well as
the ABDM on September 27, 2021, under
functioning as an Electronic Medical Record so
the aegis of the National Health Authority.
that individuals can access digital lab reports,
Within a year of its launch, the ABDM had
prescriptions, and diagnosis.
established a robust framework to provide
The high volume of over 350 million CoWIN accessible, affordable, and equitable digital
registrations prompted India to adopt a health care. With India taking on the G20
completely digital approach to its vaccination presidency in 2023, the Global Initiative on
strategy. Telehealth platforms like eSanjeevini Digital Health advocates for a connected and
also saw a steep increase in users during the integrated health ecosystem to bring together
pandemic, as 85 percent of physicians adopted global efforts on digital health. It also calls
telehealth platforms. Use of telehealth was for the best use of technologies for improv-
only at 18 percent prior to COVID-19. This ing health outcomes and scaling-up of these
emphasized the need to better incorporate technologies as Global Digital Public Goods to
cutting-edge digital technologies into health accelerate Universal Health Coverage. Within

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AYUSHMAN BHARAT DIGITAL MISSION’S INTEGRATED DIGITAL HEALTH ECOSYSTEM IS
THE FOUNDATION OF UNIVERSAL CITIZEN-CENTERED HEALTH CARE IN INDIA

Digital highways harness data, technology, and connectivity to improve the way the digital architecture
is designed, built, operated, and used. This will enable high performing, and faster delivery, and an
enhanced customer experience for all.

this broad perspective, the ABDM aims to • Workforce: Building a network of


support the creation of an integrated digital trained healthcare professionals
health infrastructure by developing a digital across the country, but especially
backbone. The government will bridge gaps in rural areas. Creating a work-
by building digital highways with the aim of force with a focus on distribution,
improving the efficiency, effectiveness, and skill mix, and performance
transparency of health service delivery in
• Affordability: Improving the qual-
India for the myriad of different private and
ity of public healthcare service
DIGITAL-IN-HEALTH FLAGSHIP PROGRAM

public stakeholders, that also encompasses


delivery to all populations and the
alternative medicine, making it a diverse and
capacity to meet the demand
complex ecosystem to be integrated.
• Quality of Care: Improving overall
Human Development Service quality and differences in health care
Delivery Problem Improvement by improving adherence to treatment
guidelines, regulating prescription of
opportunities
medication, and appropriate use of
India’s vision to digitize healthcare started high-end diagnostics and procedures.
with the launch of the National Health policy Despite the burgeoning innovations, digitali-
in 2017, followed by the NITI Aayog’s National zation of health care in India is challenging.
Health Stack in 2018 which formed the basis There are over 5 million health care profes-
for the National Digital Health Blueprint sionals, and 1.2 million health care facilities
(NDHB) launched in 2019, culminating in serving a population of nearly 1.4 billion
the launch of the Ayushman Bharat Digital people. Bringing such a large number of
mission in 2021 (Sharma, R. S et al., 2023). stakeholders onto a single digital health
The vision supported by previous invest- system managed by the government in a
ments in foundational technologies provided single step was not viable, due to both the
the groundwork for creating an integrated sheer volume, and the extremely varied
digital health ecosystem, the aim of which is needs. Although there has been rapid digi-
to provide quality healthcare using accessible tization in other sectors, such as finance
and affordable digital technology. and banking, travel and tourism, and the
As detailed in the policy documents, some of hospitality sectors, it must be acknowledged
the envisioned digital health interventions for that digitizing health data is more nuanced
addressing health service delivery reforms and requires a more granular and involved
include: approach. Health care data is more complex
as it consists of numerous different types
• Infrastructure: Strengthening
of files, requires stringent data protection
healthcare infrastructure and help-
and security regulations, and includes an
ing to reach the underserved
infinite number of medical terminologies and
particularly in rural areas.
definitions which are not universally under-
• Access to Care: Reducing dispari- stood. These include radiological images, lab
ties that exist in access to healthcare reports, prescriptions, and outpatient and
between urban and rural areas in-patient records. In addition, all of these

DIGITAL-IN-HEALTH COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE 3


AYUSHMAN BHARAT DIGITAL MISSION’S INTEGRATED DIGITAL HEALTH ECOSYSTEM IS
THE FOUNDATION OF UNIVERSAL CITIZEN-CENTERED HEALTH CARE IN INDIA

are written using different standards and Finally, the program uses an evidence-based
formats. More importantly, health care data approach to inform its design and implementa-
is highly sensitive and personal in nature and tion to ensure that the technology is effective,
poses greater risk. Therefore, the digitization efficient, and cost effective. Together all
of health care is more complex and challeng- these building blocks can be scaled as well
ing when compared to other sectors. as sustained to meet the growing needs of the
program as it expands and evolves over time.
Technology Principles A federated architecture has been adopted
The ABDM is a platform based an open using six core building blocks that have been
Application Programming Interface (API), developed using a minimalistic approach and
meaning it is flexible and allows both open- are maintained centrally at the national level
DIGITAL-IN-HEALTH FLAGSHIP PROGRAM

source and proprietary technologies to plug in. (Figure 1). All the other building blocks are
It is an ecosystem where all the building blocks designed to be operated in a federated model
and components of the ABDM are designed to that allows regional, state-level and institu-
be interoperable to facilitate the exchange of tion-level platforms and systems to function
data. The platform makes use of open stan- independently, but in an interoperable fashion.
dards and data exchange protocols to ensure
that different systems can communicate with An API provides a way for two or
each other effectively. They work together more computer programs to
seamlessly, regardless of the application or communicate with each
technology provider used. other. It is a software
interface, offering
Security and privacy are recognized as top a service to other
priorities underpinning the design and devel- pieces of software. It
opment of the APIs, and all systems need to enables multiple software
comply with relevant data protection and secu- components to “talk to each other” using a
rity regulations1. It was imperative that robust set of definitions and protocols, such as a
measures are put in place before deployment data dictionary. APIs are an accessible way
to protect data from unauthorized access and to extract and share data within and across
theft. organizations.

Building blocks refers to software


The systems are designed based on user-cen-
code, platforms, and applications,
tered design principles and consider the needs
that are interoperable, provide
and preferences of health care providers, basic digital service at scale
patients, and other stakeholders. The plat- and can be reused for multiple
form utilizes evidence-based approaches to use cases and contexts. It serves
inform its design and implementation. as a component of a larger system
or stack, and can be used to facilitate the
delivery of digital public services via functions
for e.g., registration, scheduling, ID authen-
1 At the time of writing, India’s new Digital Data tication, messaging, etc. The building blocks
Protection Bill 2023 (https://www.meity.gov.in/ can be combined and adapted to be included
writereaddata/files/The%20Digital%20Personal%20
Data%20Potection%20Bill%2C%202022_0.pdf) had as a part of a stack of technologies to form a
not been promulgated. Adjustments to the system Digital Public Infrastructure. https://digitalpub-
described in this case study may need to be made licgoods.net/DPI-DPG-BB-Definitions.pdf
depending on the Bill’s final form, as adopted as law.

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AYUSHMAN BHARAT DIGITAL MISSION’S INTEGRATED DIGITAL HEALTH ECOSYSTEM IS
THE FOUNDATION OF UNIVERSAL CITIZEN-CENTERED HEALTH CARE IN INDIA

OPEN-SOURCE APPLICATIONS are built on publicly available source codes that


can be accessed, modified, and distributed by anyone, are free to use, encourage
collaboration, and contribute to innovations by allowing developers to contribute to
the code base. They can be used by developers to build new solutions that leverage
the health stack (initiative by government of India to improve digital health infrastructure) or
other open-source tools, and they can be customized to meet the needs of different health care
providers and patients.

PROPRIETARY APPLICATIONS: Proprietary applications, on the other hand, are


built on a code that is owned and controlled by a particular company or organization.
They are typically sold as commercial products, and users may be required to pay
licensing fees or subscription costs to access them. In the context of ABDM, proprietary
applications may be used by health care providers or insurers to manage patient data, billing
DIGITAL-IN-HEALTH FLAGSHIP PROGRAM

information, or other aspects of their operations. While proprietary applications may not be as
open or customizable as open-source solutions, they can still play an important role in the digital
ecosystem by providing specialized features or services that are not available elsewhere.

While open-source applications may encourage collaboration and innovation, proprietary


applications may provide specialized services or features that are not available in open-source
alternatives.

Main components of the digital health ecosystem enabled by ABDM:

• Hospital Management Information System (HMIS): A comprehensive information system that


collects, stores, and analyzes data related to health service delivery and utilization

• Health Insurance: Ayushman Bharat provides health insurance coverage to eligible households
in India through the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) scheme (a public health insurance
scheme)

• e-Governance: Digital platforms are used to manage various aspects of the health care delivery
system, such as enrolling beneficiaries, managing claims, and monitoring program performance

• Telehealth: The program includes the provision of telehealth services to rural and remote areas,
allowing patients to access medical consultations and advice from specialists

• Use of both Open Source and Proprietary Software and technological applications

• Health Information Exchange: A platform that enables the exchange of health information between
health care providers and stakeholders, such as patients, insurance companies, and public health
agencies.

• Electronic Health (EHRs): EHRs are maintained for each beneficiary enrolled under PM-JAY, and they
contain a complete record of all medical treatments received by the patient

• Health Analytics: The data collected through HMIS and EHRs is analyzed to identify patterns, trends,
and opportunities for improvement in the health care delivery system

These building blocks work together to create a comprehensive digital health ecosystem, aimed at
improving access to quality health care for all Indians, particularly the most vulnerable and marginalized
communities.

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AYUSHMAN BHARAT DIGITAL MISSION’S INTEGRATED DIGITAL HEALTH ECOSYSTEM IS
THE FOUNDATION OF UNIVERSAL CITIZEN-CENTERED HEALTH CARE IN INDIA

As defined by ABDM, the data is federated Federated Architecture is a pattern in enterprise


and stored close to the point of generation. architecture which allows interoperability and
All the registries and other master databases information sharing between semi-autonomous
of ABDM are built as a ”single source of truth” decentralized organized lines of business
on different aspects and are backed by strong (LOBs), information technology systems
data governance principles which includes and applications that share a common
clear ownership, roles and responsibilities and vision. It works well in heterogeneous
environments where a central one-fits-all
dedicated data governance structures estab-
approach cannot be applied; and provides
lished at both the central and state levels.
high flexibility and agility to the various
autonomous (and interlinked) compo-
Figure 1 is a representation of the architec-
nents within the system for coordinated
ture of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission
DIGITAL-IN-HEALTH FLAGSHIP PROGRAM

sharing and exchange of information.


formerly known as the National Digital Health There is no centralized repository of
Mission. health care records either in one place or
in one system; and can be stored in
The key objectives of these overarching tech- multiple places as per the choice of
nology principles are to ensure that: hospitals, doctors, and patients. This
is known as a federated architecture
• Patients can securely store and in IT or digital system. Only the data
access their medical records, such collected through registries such as
Health ID registry, Health care Professional
as prescriptions, diagnostic reports,
Registry and Health care Facility Registry
and discharge summaries, and share
is stored centrally because these
them with health care providers for
datasets are essential in providing
assured and appropriate treatment interoperability, trust, identification, and single
and follow-up. In addition, patients source of truth across different digital health
can access accurate information on systems.
both private and public health facilities,
and service providers can access
health services remotely through advanced analytics, and usage of health
tele-consultation and e-pharmacy biomarkers in diagnosis, which enables
geographic and demography-based
• Health care professionals have full
program monitoring and the use of
access to a patient’s medical history,
preventive health care. This facilitates
after obtaining informed consent,
informed decision making to improve
to ensure they can prescribe the
policy design, strengthen program
right interventions. This integrated
implementation, and increase the
ecosystem facilitates an improved
accountability of health care providers
continuum of care, digitizes insurance
claims that can be processed for • Researchers can use aggregated data
faster reimbursement, and overall to study and evaluate the effectiveness
enhances service provision of various programs and interventions,
and this facilitates a comprehensive
• Policy makers and program
feedback loop between researchers,
managers have access to better
policymakers, and providers.
quality macro and micro-level data,

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AYUSHMAN BHARAT DIGITAL MISSION’S INTEGRATED DIGITAL HEALTH ECOSYSTEM IS
THE FOUNDATION OF UNIVERSAL CITIZEN-CENTERED HEALTH CARE IN INDIA

Figure 1  Technology Architecture of the Ayushman Digital Health mission


DIGITAL-IN-HEALTH FLAGSHIP PROGRAM

Source: NHA Annual Report 2021–2022_d4f624f7b5.pdf, page 86.

Major implementation milestones • Health care professionals (Health


care Professionals Registry)
The ABDM was launched in 2020 to acceler- • Health care facilities, including but not
ate the digitalization of health care across limited to hospitals, laboratories, and
India by building digital highways to promote pharmacies (Health Facility Registry)
connectivity between disparate existing digital
health systems, developed prior to COVID-19, In these registries, each individual entity is
and integrate existing digital health solutions assigned a Unique Identifier (UID), which
to support the creation of interoperable plat- is used across the entire ecosystem. This
forms, bringing them all together under one helps to establish linkages through APIs and
comprehensive and holistic ecosystem. The enhances accessibility of information. The aim
key milestones that led to the launch of the is to digitally empower individuals, patients,
ABDM are illustrated in Figure 2. doctors, and health facilities to streamline the
delivery of health care services and related
Since its launch, the foundations for a robust information. Some of the key implementation
public digital health infrastructure are being milestones since the ABDM’s inception in 2018
laid through core registry building blocks or include:
modules of:
1. Launch of a real-time HMIS through
• Individuals/citizens/patients an online portal. The HMIS is a dig-
(ABHA ID registry) ital initiative under the Ministry of

DIGITAL-IN-HEALTH COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE 7


AYUSHMAN BHARAT DIGITAL MISSION’S INTEGRATED DIGITAL HEALTH ECOSYSTEM IS
THE FOUNDATION OF UNIVERSAL CITIZEN-CENTERED HEALTH CARE IN INDIA

Health, and Family Welfare (MOHFW), obtaining the patients consent, a digital
which collects, stores, and analyzes version of the health record is uploaded
health service delivery and utilization to the ABHA account to create a seam-
data. The HMIS portal uses all appli- less online platform that allows users,
cable government standards, such insurance companies and hospitals
as standardized facility UIDs, entity across the country to access and share
names, geographic boundaries (up to EMRs through the web application. The
the level of villages), population data ABHA also enables citizens to compile a
and other relevant information, includ- comprehensive medical history across
ing Geographic Information System various health care providers, thereby
(GIS) based layers that are used in improving clinical decision-making.
the Integrated Health Information As of August 2023, nearly 442 mil-
DIGITAL-IN-HEALTH FLAGSHIP PROGRAM

Platform. APIs link it to other programs lion ABHA numbers, were generated,
and 293 million patient health records
2. Creation of individual ABHA were linked to the individuals’ ABHA
Numbers and health accounts as accounts (ABDM Dashboard, 2023)
a basis for a seamless online plat-
form. ABHA numbers are comprised of 3. Creation of UIDs for service pro-
a randomly generated 14-digit iden- viders. Using a similar approach to the
tification number are created either UIDs for individuals, 14-digit UIDs are
using the individual’s/patient’s mobile generated for both the Health Facility
number or Aadhar number. This enables Registry and the Health Professional
each person to get a unique health Registries. The Health Facility Registry
account, an Ayushman Bharat Health is “a single centralized repository of all
Account (ABHA) linked to their ID. After the health facilities in the country” to

Figure 2  Key milestones leading to the launch of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission

May 2018 Sept 2018 Jan 2019 Aug 2020 Sep 2021
National Health Pradhan Matri-Jan National Health National Digital Ayushman Bharat
Agency Arogya Yojana Authority Health Mission Digital mission
Specific goals for Components for Implementation Notable Policy
digital technologies digital health Implementation milestones
• Registries • Electronic registries guidelines • Pilot on Aug. 15,
• Claims performs • Layered framework 2020
• Federated
• Building blocks • National rollout on
architecture • Personal health Sept. 27
• Data standards & records • Standards and • Approved by Union
electronic health • Federated regulations Cabinet on Feb. 26
records architecture • Institutional
framework
• Health analytics

Source: Adapted from NHA_Annual_Report_2021_2022_d4f624f7b5.pdf page 82.

DIGITAL-IN-HEALTH COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE 8


AYUSHMAN BHARAT DIGITAL MISSION’S INTEGRATED DIGITAL HEALTH ECOSYSTEM IS
THE FOUNDATION OF UNIVERSAL CITIZEN-CENTERED HEALTH CARE IN INDIA

facilitate storage and exchange of stan- which is a flagship health insurance


dardized data from both the public and scheme, launched in September 2018
private health facilities in the nation. to provide health insurance coverage
Health facilities would have provision of to eligible households. To ensure timely
electronic processing of documents for insurance payments, EHRs are main-
various purposes like for empanelment, tained for each beneficiary enrolled
claims processing, e-signature etc. The under PM-JAY. A dashboard has been
Health Professional Registry is also created that has both aggregated and a
commonly known as the Digi Doctor drill-down view of various datasets, and
Platform or Doctors Directory. Digi it provides real time reports of trans-
Doctor Platform is “A single, updated actions and analyzes utilization trends.
repository of all doctors enrolled in The PM-JAY also has in place hospital
DIGITAL-IN-HEALTH FLAGSHIP PROGRAM

nation with all the relevant details of registration, beneficiary identification,


doctors such as name, qualifications, and transaction management system(s)
name of the institutions, qualifications,
specializations, registration number 5. Expansion and integration of
with State medical councils, years of Telehealth Services “eSanjeevani”
experience, etc. Doctor’s Directory is with ABDM. The program has tele-
one of the essential building blocks health services available, allowing
of the national e-health architecture patients in rural and remote areas
to access digital medical consulta-
These provide verified digital identities tions to solicit advice from specialists.
to large and small public and private
health facilities and professionals. This List of Digital services provided include:
serves as a single source of truth for
(A) Citizen/Patient Services: (i) Single, Secure
verified health care provider related
Health Id to all citizens, (ii) Personal Health Record,
information and connects them to the
(iii) Single (National) Health Portal, (iv) App
central digital ecosystem. The Health Store, (v) Specialized Services for Remote Areas/
Facility Registry and Health Provider Disadvantaged Groups, (vi) NDHM Call Centre,
Registry help improve the identification/ (vii) Digital Referrals & Consultations, (viii) Online
discovery of health care facilities and Appointments, (ix) e-Prescription Service, (x) Digital
allow health professionals to build an Child Health, (xi) National “Opt-out” (for privacy);
online presence and offer their ser- (B) Services by/for Health care Providers/
vices more effectively. In addition, a Professionals: (xii) Summary Care Record, (xiii)
Drug Registry is also being designed Open Platform to access Emergency Services, (xiv)
to create a single, up-to-date, cen- Technology for Practitioner (GP) Transformation,
tralized repository of all approved (xv) Digital Referrals, Case Transfers (xvi) Clinical
drugs across all systems of medicine Decision Support, (xvii) Digital Pharmacy &
pharmacy Supply Chain, (xviii) Hospital Digitization,
4. Integration of EHRs for Pradhan (ix) Digital Diagnostics;
Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY).
(C) Technical Digital Services: (xx) Architecture
As of August 2023, a total of 110 digital & Interoperability, (xxi) Health Information
health services/applications have been Exchange, (xxii) Standards, (xxiii) Health Network,
integrated with ABDM. (National Health (xxiv) Data & Cyber Security, (xxv) Information
Authority and ABDM, 2023). The EHR Governance.
forms an important part of the PM-JAY

DIGITAL-IN-HEALTH COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE 9


AYUSHMAN BHARAT DIGITAL MISSION’S INTEGRATED DIGITAL HEALTH ECOSYSTEM IS
THE FOUNDATION OF UNIVERSAL CITIZEN-CENTERED HEALTH CARE IN INDIA

The integration allows existing users is taken and logged, and only after
of eSanjeevani to create an ABHA that are the health records shared
account, manage their existing
health records, such as prescriptions 7. Implementation of health ana-
and lab reports, and to share these lytics. The data collected through
with the doctors on eSanjeevani for both the HMIS and EHRs is being
better clinical decision-making and analyzed to identify patterns, trends,
to support the continuum of care. and opportunities for improvement
As of August 2023, eSanjeevani ser- in the health care delivery system
vices have reached over 145 million
Figure 3 highlights the different components of
Indians (eSanjeevani website, 2023)
the ABDM and how these are linked in terms
DIGITAL-IN-HEALTH FLAGSHIP PROGRAM

6. Launch of Health Information of their functionality and use.


Exchange and Consent Manager
(HIE-CM): The HIE-CM platform was Institutional and strategic
launched to facilitate the exchange of alignment to implement change
health information between health care
providers and other stakeholders, such Under a partnership between the Ministry
as patients, insurance companies and of Health and Family Welfare and the
public health agencies. This system Ministry of Electronics and Information
ensures that the identity of persons Technology, the National Health
intending to share information is first Authority has been identified as the lead
verified, consent of the person/patient

Figure 3  Overview of the functioning of ABDM

HEALTH HEALTH
INFORMATION ABHA INFORMATION
PROVIDERS (HIP) USERS (HIU)
Health
Public Health Information Information Public Health
Programs Providers (HIP)) users (HIU) Programs

Doctors & Doctors &


Hospitals Health Information Hospitals
Exchange (Gateway)
& Content Manager
Diagnostic Diagnostic
Centre Healthcare Centre
Professionals
Registry
Health Health Facility Health
Locker Registry Locker

Viewing/Sharing of Health Records after consent


Entities providing or using information could be same or different
Source: ABDM Handbook (2022).

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AYUSHMAN BHARAT DIGITAL MISSION’S INTEGRATED DIGITAL HEALTH ECOSYSTEM IS
THE FOUNDATION OF UNIVERSAL CITIZEN-CENTERED HEALTH CARE IN INDIA

implementing agency. The National Health • Coordinating with the Ministry of Health
Authority has been entrusted with: and Family Welfare and States/Union
Territories to resolve technical and
• Administrative and technical leadership
operational issues and capacity building
• Building the technological infrastructure
The National Health Authority works in
• Creating a national digital
close coordination with other ministries
health ecosystem
and government departments, the private
• Developing models for self- sector and civil society organizations. The
financing within the ABDM multi-stakeholder mechanism through which
the program operates includes the following:
The National Health Authority
DIGITAL-IN-HEALTH FLAGSHIP PROGRAM

is also tasked with: 1. The National Health Authority is the


implementing agency for PM-JAY and is
• Implementing policies and decisions
responsible for the overall management
approved by the Mission Steering
and program performance. It provides
Group and Empowered Committee
technical support to the States/Union
• Developing strategic partnerships with Territories on program implementation
private sector and civil society bodies

Figure 4  ABDM Stack–Modular and Interoperable

USER

PRIVATE SOLUTION
APPLICATIONS

PUBLIC AND
INDIVIDUAL APPS HEALTH PROVIDER APPS
Diverse user Arogya Setu | E-sanjeevani LIMS | HIMS
experience and Other Apps
innovative
solutions

UNIFIED HEALTH TELEMEDICINE APIs LAB & DRUG APIs OTHER HEALTH
INTERFACE SERVICES APIs
Discover doctor Discover doctor
APls for Health Book appointment Discover pharmacy Discover bed availability
Services Discover hospital facilities
Teleconsult... Available services ..
Take Decisions ...

DIGITAL REGISTRIES HEALTH INFORMATION HEALTH CLAIM


ABHA healthcare EXCHANGE STANDARDS
HEALTH DATA
professionals Health information eClaims standard
DIGITAL PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE

EXCHANGE
Health facilities exchange & consent Health claims
Streamlining flow manager
of patients, health Drugs ... Platform policy markup
information and Health document language
money standards (diagnostic
reports prescriptions) Bill markup language
Aggregated health data
& analytics
JAM & OTHER DIGITAL
PUBLIC GOODS
Cross domain Aadhaar, UPI, e-RUPI, e-Sign, Digilocker, Consent Artefact...
generic building
blocks

Source: ABDM Handbook (2022).

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AYUSHMAN BHARAT DIGITAL MISSION’S INTEGRATED DIGITAL HEALTH ECOSYSTEM IS
THE FOUNDATION OF UNIVERSAL CITIZEN-CENTERED HEALTH CARE IN INDIA

2. State Health Agencies have been 5. Technology providers are responsible


set up by each state and have full for developing and implementing the
operational autonomy and respon- platform being used for the program,
sibility to ensure that the program such as mobile apps and web portals,
is effectively implemented which serve to ensure seamless imple-
mentation and reduce the chances of
3. Insurance companies are responsible fraud and abuse. These partners are
for providing health insurance cover- mainly from the private sector and are
age to beneficiaries, managing claims recruited at competitive market rates
and reimbursement process(es). They
are selected through bidding and are Figure 5 highlights the range of stake-
paid a premium by the government holders present within the ABDM network,
for providing insurance coverage. their roles in supporting patients and cit-
DIGITAL-IN-HEALTH FLAGSHIP PROGRAM

izens to get comprehensive health care.


4. Health care providers: Private
and public health care providers,
such as hospitals and clinics, are eli-
Scaling considerations and
gible to participate in the program
sustainability
and provide health care services to
The ABDM was launched as a pilot on 15th
beneficiaries. They are required to
August 2020 in six Union Territories of India,
follow the standard treatment pro-
namely Andaman & Nicobar, Chandigarh, Dadra
tocols and the quality standards set
& Nagar Haveli, and Daman & Diu, Ladakh,
by the National Health Authority
Lakshadweep and Puducherry, with the aim of

Figure 5  Stakeholders in the ABDM Network

Source: ABDM, 2023.

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Strategic alignments as a part of service delivery reform and to


implement change:
• Distributed: Health care delivered not only in fixed facilities, but also in
workplaces, communities, and people’s homes by a wider cadre of health
workers, including patients themselves and their caregivers

• Connected: Share data with each other and systems outside of health care
and be available to health workers and patients on mobile devices

• Continuous: Health care to serve people during the 5,000 waking hours
of the year, not only the 15 minutes they spend in a fixed facility

• Human centered: Health care to put the patient and their


caregivers at the center and empower health workers
DIGITAL-IN-HEALTH FLAGSHIP PROGRAM

• Decentralized: Decision-making to be less concentrated and put more into


the hands of local leaders, health workers, and ultimately patients

• Collaborative: Health care to seamlessly combine the insights


of non-experts, experts, and non-human agents

• Responsive: A system that automatically adapt itself to new data and new diseases

Digitalization is a key ingredient of this transition within the health system to


ensure better service delivery and to strengthen core public health functions

establishing a national digital health ecosys- on central principles of ABDM, national poli-
tem by creating an online platform, enabling cies, regulations, and standards. The state is
interoperability of health data within the health responsible for the capacity building of health
ecosystem to create longitudinal electronic care professionals to enable them to be able
health records of citizens and facilitate delivery to lead and implement, as well as conducting
of health services through this digital health the overall monitoring and evaluation of the
ecosystem. To date, three key registries program in their respective states. A total of
namely the Health UID, Health Professional 31 states are making steady progress towards
Registry, Health Facility Registry, and digital building a comprehensive digital health eco-
infrastructure for data exchange have been system. As of August 2023, about 293 million
developed and implemented in these Union digital health records have been linked to the
Territories with an estimated budget of $6.4 ABHA accounts of individuals and 442 million
million. citizens have generated their unique ABHA
allowing them to access and manage their
To enhance program coverage, the 2023
digital health records anytime, anywhere.
budget allocation to NHA has been increased
They can also access paper-less digital health
by 70 percent, and each State Digital Health
services under ABDM. The digital linking of
Mission has been tasked with implementing
individual’s health records with ABHA is being
ABDM within their respective territories. The
carried out extensively across different health
State level scale-up plans were/ are in the
facilities of the country with the support of
process of being developed and they include
State Governments.
the development and/or updating of state spe-
cific technology and infrastructure that builds

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THE FOUNDATION OF UNIVERSAL CITIZEN-CENTERED HEALTH CARE IN INDIA

To ensure greater uptake and sustainability, enrollment of beneficiaries, reim-


the government intends to conduct public bursement of claims, and monitoring
awareness campaigns to encourage indi- of program’s performance; (iii) EHRs
viduals to enroll in the program. These will used by health care providers to store
target those living in rural and remote areas, and manage the health information of
and the economically weaker percentiles. To beneficiaries, including their medical
ensure those who are unconnected, margin- history, treatments received, and test
alized, remote, tribal, and digitally illiterate results; (iv) information systems like
are reached by ABDM, specialized systems ‘e-Hospital’, which is a cloud-based
and offline modules are planned. The network Hospital Management Information
of Panchayati Raj (local government) institu- System to connect patients, hospitals
tions with support from the frontline health and doctors on a single digital platform;
DIGITAL-IN-HEALTH FLAGSHIP PROGRAM

workers, Accredited Social Health Activists and and ‘e-Shushrut’, incorporates an inte-
Anganwadi workers will facilitate this last mile grated computerized clinical information
outreach. In addition to the necessary infra- system for improved hospital adminis-
structure, the program will require an increase tration and patient health care. It also
in the number of digitally trained health care provides an accurate electronically
providers and insurance companies to provide stored medical record of the patient;
quality care to the increased number of indi- (v) telehealth and remote consulta-
viduals. Improved partnerships with private tion services which includes video and
health care providers are planned to reduce tele-consultations and e-Sanjeevani (a
the financial burden on the government and web-based comprehensive telehealth
to improve the quality of care provided under solution that facilitates doctor to doctor,
the program. and patient to doctor teleconsultations);
(vi) Payment systems used to manage
Enablers and Challenges the payments to insurance companies,
health care providers, and technol-
Enablers contributing to the success of the ogy providers, for example Paytm and
ABDM include: Unified Payment Interface (vii) ‘Scan
and share’ uses a QR code-based token
1. Creation of innovative technologies system to manage queues at hospital
and leveraging these to enhance counters and streamline the outpatient
quality of care and health service registration process in large hospitals.
delivery. The ABDM’s digital eco-
system includes a set of digital tools, In addition, there are several other
systems, and platforms that are used user friendly and clinical decision
to implement and manage the health support systems that are under
program. These tools include a vari- development and have the potential
ety of: (i) Mobile Applications used to overhaul the health care sector
for beneficiary identification, eligi- of India. Some of these include the
bility verification, and for accessing Internet of Medical Things to digitize
health services; (ii) Web Portals: used and connect all critical care units of a
by health care providers, insurance hospital such as the ICUs, operating
companies, and government agen- rooms, ventilators, navigation sys-
cies to manage the program, including tems and artificial intelligence with

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THE FOUNDATION OF UNIVERSAL CITIZEN-CENTERED HEALTH CARE IN INDIA

advanced diagnostic capabilities and of the digital registries, ABHA numbers,


remote diagnosis, 3D printing tech- consent framework, and others that aid
nology, robot assisted diagnosis and in universal access to health facilities.
treatment of diseases, including min-
imally invasive surgeries, wearable 3. Development of succinct policies,
health care devices, etc. is planned. strategy, regulations, and stan-
The ABDM leverages these emerg- dards for a unified digital health
ing technologies by using Block Chain ecosystem. A series of policies,
technology and tracks their develop- guidelines, regulations and standards
ment and updates via the Innovation across all levels and core components
Wing in the National Health Authority. of the ABDM have been developed
and operationalized/deployed and
DIGITAL-IN-HEALTH FLAGSHIP PROGRAM

2. Establishment of a standardized are regularly updated with a view to


digital health care ecosystem that strengthening the digital health care
supports stakeholders to connect infrastructure. Some of these include:
in a trusted environment. The digital
ecosystem under the ADBM provides a • ABDM Strategy Overview and
conducive and interoperable platform Action Plan: presents the broad
for all the above-mentioned applications context, scope, rationale, key
to work together seamlessly via differ- constructs or building blocks,
ent digital pathways through the Unified implementation strategy, outcomes,
Health Interface. The Unified Health and institutional structure for
Interface enables all health care service developing a digital ecosystem for
providers and end-user applications to health care services in the country
interact with each other on its network
• National Digital Health Blueprint
and provides a seamless experience
lays out the framework of key
for service discovery, appointment
building blocks essential for the
booking, teleconsultations, ambulance
evolution of the National Digital
access, and more. The Unified Health
Health Ecosystem. It recommends
Interface is based on open network
a Federated architecture, Universal
protocols and can address the current
Health ID, Electronic Health records,
challenge of different digital solutions
Metadata and data standards, Health
being unable to communicate with each
informatics standards, Registries
other. Moreover, it gives the stakehold-
for Non-Communicable Diseases
ers a trusted environment, promotes
(NCDs), Directories of Providers,
innovations to enhance quality of care
professionals and paramedical(s),
in an efficient, transparent manner. The
Legislation and Regulations on Data
Government of India has also routinely
Management, with focus on privacy
allotted a sizable budget for technolog-
and security, and data analytics
ical advancement and digitization in the
health care sector. Digitization of health
• Guidelines and strategies related
care records is key for making the
to the digital infrastructure
benefits of the new technology more
across the different levels of health
scalable, and the Union Budget has
care. These guidelines ensure that
made provisions for a planned rollout

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the requisite digital infrastructure and efficiently, and it is used


is in place, is regularly maintained to improve the quality of care
and upgraded. There are policies provided in line with the privacy
related to the availability of and security data standards
technology and the connectivity of
health care providers, for example Apart from developing policies specifi-
cally for the digital health architecture,
• Development of technical additional guidelines and regulations
standards and regulations are developed by the health sector
to ensure that the technology to ensure that quality of care meets
and different applications used the PM-JAY standards. Some of this
meets the required standards for includes standards for health care
DIGITAL-IN-HEALTH FLAGSHIP PROGRAM

security, reliability, and privacy providers, insurance companies, tech-


nology providers, and for the quality of
• Hardware guidelines for states care provided to beneficiaries. There
and health care institutions are also policies related to the financial
sustainability of the program, effective
• Interoperability guidelines
and efficient use of resources, preven-
to ensure that digital tools
tion of fraud and abuse, monitoring
used under the program can
the performance of health care provid-
communicate and exchange data
ers, insurance companies, technology
with other digital health systems
providers, and program evaluation.
used for e.g., EHR etc. This
Together these policies and regula-
helps to promote innovations,
tions help to ensure the transparency,
contribute to quality of care, and
accountability, and efficiency of pro-
long-term program sustainability
gram. These are continuously reviewed
and updated to ensure that they are
• Data protection and privacy
aligned with the ever-evolving needs
policies and strategy outlines the
of the beneficiaries and the program.
minimum standards for data privacy
protection to be followed by all
4. Public-private partnership is the
participants/stakeholders of ABDM.
nucleus of the ABDM and has
There are a set of robust laws to
played a pivotal role in its evolve-
protect digital data for e.g., Health
ment. The private sector plays a
Data Management Policy. These
pivotal role in the establishment
laws help to promote and implement
of the ABDM’s comprehensive and
e-health standards, protect patient
interoperable digital architecture. The
privacy and security, and regulate
private sector has joined hands with
the storage and sharing of EMRs
the National Health Authority and
is involved in the following ways:
• Data Management policies
and regulations ensure that
• Technology providers: The
data generated is stored, used,
private sector through “small
shared, and managed securely
start-ups” and “developers” is

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involved in the development and Some of the key challenges faced


implementation of the technology under the ABDM include:
platform, and other innovative
• Uncertainty related to private
applications like the mobile apps,
sector engagement: ABDM has
and web portals to ensure seamless
provided guidelines for public-
implementation and reduce the
private partnerships. In this short
chances of fraud and abuse
implementation period, though
the private sector and insurance
• Health care providers: Private
companies have worked well within
health care providers, such as
the ABDM network, there are some
hospitals and clinics, are eligible
concerns on the inclusion of private
to participate in the program and
DIGITAL-IN-HEALTH FLAGSHIP PROGRAM

sector beyond the technology


provide health care services to
related companies and startups.
beneficiaries. They are required
Clarity is needed on how to increase
to follow the standard treatment
the engagement of private sector
protocols and the quality standards
hospitals, and integration of small
set by the National Health Authority.
clinics and independent doctors
The private sector also plays a role in
into the ABDM ecosystem. While
building the capacity of health care
there are many advantages to
providers and improving the quality
the partnerships with technology
of care. This process is currently
companies and start-ups, there have
a bit slow with only 5 percent of
been several implementation and
private sector hospitals participating.
technical challenges encountered.
Data security concerns relating to
Some of these issues include data
the use of sensitive and confidential
security, data privacy, and challenges
data from HIV, AIDS, and TB
integrating ABDM with private
patients, for example, there is a
sector hospital software persists,
reluctance to participate in ABDM
incentives for the private sector
• Private insurance companies: to merge with the ABDM and the
provide health insurance need for a legislative framework
coverage, manage claims and to ensure their cooperation in a
the reimbursement process. national mission are required
They are selected through a
• Need to strengthen data privacy
bidding process and are paid a
and cybersecurity across
premium by the government for
the ecosystem: It is widely
providing insurance coverage
acknowledged that the program has
Through a stakeholder engagement strong multiple gateways to ensure
plan, the ABDM informs, data privacy and cybersecurity. At
communicates and problem solves the entry point, the 14-digit UID
with the private sector in an format is the same for individuals,
efficient and consultative manner. service providers and health

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THE FOUNDATION OF UNIVERSAL CITIZEN-CENTERED HEALTH CARE IN INDIA

facilities. This format makes it help detect patterns, trends and


difficult for hackers to penetrate; used for other statistical analysis
and even when a theft is successful
it would be difficult to gauge the • Need for incentives to enhance
type of data. Additional steps that compliance: According to a recent
have been put in place include strong report titled ‘Leapfrogging to a
data privacy and cybersecurity laws Digital Healthcare System (FICCI,
and regulations that specify that 2020)’, it is estimated that there
health data should not be stored in a are over 500 software providers
government owned cloud or server. who provide HMIS software to
The data stays at its original source hospitals and the adoption of EHR
and can be retrieved as and when in India is less than 10 percent and
DIGITAL-IN-HEALTH FLAGSHIP PROGRAM

needed, but only after obtaining is characterized by fragmentation


the patient’s consent. Despite all and low digital penetration. Adopting
these robust data privacy and ABDM requires doctors to write
cybersecurity safeguards, there is prescriptions on their laptops/
concern among private sector service computers/tablets, which is a
providers that the health insurance huge behavioral change. Given the
companies can still access patient workload on them, incentivizing them
information simply by virtue of being to use computers and laptops is a big
in the ecosystem, analyze disease challenge that needs to be addressed
trends, and then use this information through awareness campaigns. The
to increase insurance premiums. To same is true for other healthcare
ensure additional safety, there is professionals like nurses, pharmacy
also a need to encrypt stored data, etc. In such campaigns, efforts are
distribute this data across various being made to show the doctors and
independent servers to prevent the healthcare staff the advantages of
original sensitive data from being ABDM: time saved due to prefilled
recovered by hackers and tag the prescriptions, ability to quickly look
encrypted data to ensure proper at records chronologically rather than
authentication and consent from searching paper records. To address
the concerned authorities. Though this issue a Digital Health Incentive
the consent of an individual is being scheme has been developed to
taken to access and store data it provide financial incentives to health
must be made mandatory, and facilities, diagnostic laboratories,
additional consent needs to be taken and Digital Solution companies to
to anonymize personal information enhance adoption of the ABDM
so that it can be included in public
• Need to address inequities: In
datasets. The consent for sharing
many hospitals, particularly small
anonymized data needs to be taken
hospitals, there is lack of investment
at grassroots levels, such as at the
in computer hardware and digital
health care facility, and service
storage space in health facilities,
provider levels. These anonymized
which are prerequisites for ABDM.
indices can then be made public to

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At some remote places, internet 2. India has adopted an incremental


connectivity issues also exist and a phased approach to implement
ABDM. This approach allows for feed-
• Financial sustainability: There back loops and lessons learned from
is a perception that the ABDM is each phase, are utilized, monitoring
expensive, and it is not clear if the results and experiences of the early
government can bear the cost of adopters for further improvements
the entire program rollout, hence
the financial sustainability of the 3. Instead of one standardized, centralized
program remains an area of concern system, a multi-stakeholder approach
has been adopted and the national
In short, additional work is needed to
e-health system is flexible to adapt
DIGITAL-IN-HEALTH FLAGSHIP PROGRAM

secure public trust for more citizens


to the needs of the various stake-
to continue to enroll into the program
holders at all levels yet weaving them
allowing it to reach critical mass
together under one common platform
and offer better value for money.
4. A national strategy exists that guides
Advice for others the adoption and implementation of the
Mission. This strategy is tailor-made
ABDM is an ambitious program that has the for each region and considers their
potential to revolutionize health care access in strengths, weaknesses and adapts
India. During its short implementation period, well to areas which are remote and/
the mission has brought to focus several effi- or have poor digital connectivity.
ciency related concerns to the fore that create Furthermore, the strategy recog-
challenges the health system and were exac- nizes that digitization process will take
erbated by the pandemic. The program has many years and has scope to incor-
been able to bring about large-service deliv- porate new advances in technology
ery reform and has overhauled the country’s
health care data systems. Some of the key 5. The government has invested in
lessons learned from ABDM’s short implemen- establishing the required digital eco-
tation period include: system, such as information system
architecture, clinical coding and stan-
1. It is a voluntary scheme and relies on dards, process harmonization and
the trust and consent of its citizens. information governance as a core
The mission is built on principles of foundation before moving on to the
fundamental rights and other legisla- implementation of the technology
tion such as the IT Act 2008, and the
Aadhar Act. The Digital Personal Data 6. Instead of focusing on the devel-
Protection Bill 2023, under discussion opment of an IT system, the digital
in the Parliament, will provide safe- health program is linked to the Primary
guards for personal data protection Health Care system and focuses
and processing. It is also informed by on the end goal of delivering qual-
core democratic principles of coop- ity health services for all. Changes
erative federalism and is presided are made to clinical protocols, insti-
over by Supreme Court judgements tutional culture, and administrative
workflows with digitalization

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THE FOUNDATION OF UNIVERSAL CITIZEN-CENTERED HEALTH CARE IN INDIA

7. A network of stakeholders across all created is encrypted and cannot be


the core components were engaged altered), and Cloud Computing are
in the design and implementation of also being explored to make the ABDM
the ABDM using a public-private part- more efficient and effective. Unlike the
nership model. Under this model, the partnerships with technology compa-
roles and responsibilities of each stake- nies that are more well established,
holder in the whole ecosystem are partnerships with private sector hos-
clear and well defined. Stakeholders pitals are still in their nascent stages
include the government themselves, and will continue to evolve with time.
policymakers, private health providers,
allied private entities like health tech- 9. The UIDs for individuals, service pro-
nology companies, doctors, NGOs, and viders and health facilities are the key
DIGITAL-IN-HEALTH FLAGSHIP PROGRAM

various administrators like program to interoperability across the entire


managers and regulators. This arrange- digital health ecosystem. It also serves
ment addresses some of the earlier as the first step in ensuring data pri-
challenges that the government had vacy. To further enhance security, the
with the private sector regarding pay- government has developed data man-
ments. The government, through the agement and sharing standards which
involvement of multiple stakeholders are governed by a robust legal system
and the private sector, has now estab-
10. Under the ABDM, all digital services are
lished effective payment mechanisms
available in various regional languages
across the ABDM platform to reconcile
and have been designed in ways to
bills and pay health care providers
make them accessible and user friendly
8. Public-private partnerships with tech-
11. The government is currently work-
nology companies, startups and private
ing on a mass awareness raising
hospitals are an integral piece of the
campaign to promote the use of
ABDM’s strategy to streamline health
ABDM and generate demand
care processes. Technology companies
play a pivotal role in innovation and the
12. The expansion in health insurance
creation of new digital health solutions.
coverage to reach over 500 million
The ABDM keeps the platform up to
people makes PM-JAY one of the larg-
date which means it complements the
est health insurance programs in the
private sector technology that plugs
world. It is critical to providing finan-
in to it. This technology is regularly
cial protection for the economically
updated and upgraded, but issues of
weaker sections of the society in case
data privacy and cybersecurity still
of medical emergencies. It alleviates
need to be addressed from time to
poverty stemming from high out of
time. Newer technologies like Artificial
pocket health expenses. The scale of
Intelligence, the Internet of Things,
the program is extremely impressive
Block Chain (Blockchain Technology
and other countries have much to learn
can guarantee that the data that is
from this huge mobilization effort.

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THE FOUNDATION OF UNIVERSAL CITIZEN-CENTERED HEALTH CARE IN INDIA

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DIGITAL-IN-HEALTH FLAGSHIP PROGRAM

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Ecosystem is the Foundation of Universal Citizen-Centered Health Care in India. World Bank. 2023. Washington
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DIGITAL-IN-HEALTH COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE 22

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