Today, it is almost impossible to distinctly separate technology from each and every aspect of our lives. Convergence of technology has brought together the whole world like never before. As more and more innovations are being launched practically every second across the globe, the lines between the virtual and the actual world are progressively diminishing. In the world of medicine, specifically, technology is playing a significant part in boosting the quality of healthcare that can be provided to the patients. It is almost surreal to think that how a doctor now can gain a better insight and provide one to his patients, by streamlining various phases of treatment which starts with an in-depth analysis of the history of the patient and ends with holistic rectification of the ailment.However, if we look deep within the healthcare and medical ecosystem, a lot of medical professionals are still using conventional and orthodox methods of treatments. Lack of ease of adaptability and quite often even the financial implications of incorporating technology are quoted to be the reasons for not abandoning our beloved pen and paper. According to various studies that have been conducted in the private healthcare world, patients now do not mind investing in their own health and expect more coherent and systematic approach from their healthcare providers as well.

The core inspiration and objective of establishing The Esthetic Clinics was to incorporate technology driven medical solutions in to the world of plastic surgery, aesthetic surgery& dermatology and provide the patients with structurally integrated medical and customer related solutions. Every patient today expects to be treated like a customer and hence the much felt need to provide quality solutions, which mimic consumer service in other spheres of life. The ideology is to crossover new boundaries in aesthetic medicine by harnessing the maximum out of this digital or ‘push button revolution’. Understanding medical technology and its enormous impact on the patient’s well being is one thing, however, implementation of ideas for making the entire procedure feasible, understandable and logistically viable is a whole different ball game altogether. This challenge was the driving force behind binding together digital concepts like maintaining Electronic Medical Records (ERM), using an Interactive Voice Recording System (IVR) for better transparency & seamless services and using effective Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solutions,to keep patients in the loop and assist achieve their final treatment goals.

The viability and the pressing need of EMRs or E-Medical Records cannot be overemphasized in the world of medicine. It is appalling to see that even today, a large number of medical establishments function on the traditionalistic pen and paper approach, which frankly, by now should have been eliminated to a large extent. Electronic Medical Records have some clear advantages over maintaining mountains of paperwork. Medical records have a crucial role in a patient’s entire treatment duration. Not only they are indicative of the patient’s history, they allow the clinical and medical data of the patient to travel with him from one doctor to another. This prevents any procedural lapse, as the new doctor is completely aware of his patient’s previous

conditions and the treatments. Also, EMRs are weather and disaster proof. We cannot definitely overlook the possibility of natural disasters completely running the sky high stacks of medical records which are preserved for years. The Esthetic Clinics provide mutual access of ERMs to all the patients whilst maintaining the doctor-patient confidentiality. Our patients do not have to carry their own medical records and their entire history is available with a digital key. Quality healthcare becomes easier when the patient and the doctor have clarity about the objective. Also, if doctors don’t have EMR’s, how do they even analyze their surgical results, or even conduct research on which treatments are producing what results in their patients?!

Lack of ease of adaptability and quite often even the financial implications of incorporating technology are quoted to be the reasons for not abandoning our beloved pen and paper

A lot can be lost in translation and this certainly holds true in the cases where there are certain stages through which the communication channel travels. To maintain the integrity of any communication that occurs within a channel and to save time by channelizing the relevant information, the importance of IVR becomes imperative. Incorporation of an Integrated Voice Response system ensures that the patient calls are integrated with the clinic systems that no patient call gets unanswered & that patient queries do not remain unanswered. The ability to rigorously track record & analyze calls, improves call answers & ensures customer loyalty as a feedback of the process. An IVR becomes important in a scenario where multi-lingual patients are received and direct human communication at various stages may require exceptional clarity of speech and thoughts. IVR also has helped The Esthetic Clinics in not only saving precious human time, which obviously leads to more productivity, but also making to and fro communication easier with its patients.

Any medical procedure is not deemed complete unless the clear objective has been achieved. But, it is observed that in most cases, once the patient is discharged or cleared by the doctor, a lackadaisical attitude develops in the patients which can translate into post-treatment complications. The importance of follow-up treatments and post procedural care somehow becomes relevant only to the treating doctor. If we think about it, it is not humanly possible to reach out to every patient and remind them of their pending visits. This is where a CRM system comes in to rescue. A highly efficient CRM system can do much more than just deliver reminders. It can also compile information about patients and their interaction with the doctor. This not only helps the doctor in analyzing the established patterns of the patients, but also gives an opportunity to interact with the patients and improve their experience. The channels across which the information is complied could be anything from direct mails to interactive live chats. This gives the doctor an edge to know the patient’s concern in more details, hence making the procedure more effective. This invariably drives revenue for Clinics & Hospitals also, by promoting better consumer retention.

Last, but not the least, the usage of technology now pervades all aspects of patient care. Today, the technology available allows doctors to see clearer & perform surgery with more precision & repeatability. Consumers today want 100 percent results, with zero percent complications. While this may indeed be an impossible task, surgery has become more & more predictable, less invasive & much less morbid, with innovations like top class endoscopes, very high end camera systems, 3D technology, etc. In the very near future, Robotics will completely transform the surgical room, arming the surgeon with far greater precision than his 20/20 vision could ever have accomplished. Lasers & injectables today can do what only surgery could, just a few years ago. The Esthetic Clinics is at the forefront of top class research – Amongst our many successes, the QR 678 injections invented by The Esthetic Clinics, which revolutionize hair growth, are truly a paradigm shift in the era of hair loss & alopecia. The patent awarded to the QR 678 hair growth factor injections invented in India, by the United States Patent Office recently, further augments the ‘Make in India’ story.

Also, a surgeon may be the best, but the ability to demonstrate his skills will only come in, once the patient walks into the centers. The use of digital aids like mobile websites, video demonstrations, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Social Media Optimization (SMO), Pay per Click (PPC) campaigns & their understanding becomes critical in making sure patients know the difference between various hospitals & clinics and learn enough, so as to be able to use the clinics’ services. It is somewhat ironic that doctors, who used to have many acronyms in front of their names (their degrees, which often left patient’s confused), now need to learn various technological acronyms, to run their clinics & their patient’s lives in a smoother manner!